Home Sweet Home
by Gleekmom33
Summary: A continuation of my story "Prelude" follows Kurt & Blaine in their relationship as they move forward. The road to true love is never without it's stumbling blocks. All hail Ryan Murphy. Don't own GLEE, but honor it always. I 3 hearing your thoughts!
1. Welcome Home

"So do we tell them together?"

"Well, considering I've never met your parents, it might be a little awkward."

"I'm really excited about this, Kurt. The thought of waking up next to you in the morning." Blaine feels his emotions boiling to the surface. "I can't believe how lucky I am."

"How lucky we are." Kurt kisses Blaine tenderly. "I feel like a new bride".

"Soon". Blaine winked at his soon to be live-in boyfriend.

On his way to school, Kurt decided that there was no time like the present.

"So Dad, I'd like to have a family meeting tonight. It's kind of important."

"Well, I'm done by 6ish, and Carol should be home right after that. Everything ok?"

"Oh, yeah…everything is great…I just have something…I want to bounce off of everyone. I need Finn there too". Kurt was hoping that his new brother would be supportive.

"Sounds serious. Well, let's do dinner, then we can all sit down. You're sure there's nothing you want to talk about now?"

"No, Dad, tonight's good. Ok, I better get inside. Love you. "

"Love you too, Kurt. Have a good one today".

Kurt went to his classes, but was too distracted by his plans with Blaine to learn anything new today. He keeps pinching himself—I cannot believe I'm with Blaine. He also tried to figure out the best way to approach the issue of their hoped for living arrangements with his father. What if he told him no? Would Blaine believe that it was Burt's resistance, and not his own, that would throw a kink into their plans? Kurt couldn't think of anything more exciting than the thought that the last thing he would see at night would be Blaine's face. He loves him so much. This has to work out. And Burt did like Blaine. Hopefully enough to approve.

Kurt thought he should text Finn to make sure he was there.

"Hey, listen, I need you tonight".

"Dude, I thought you said I wasn't your type".

"You so aren't. Family meeting tonight. Kind of important."

"You ok?"

"Yep. After dinner. More later".

Blaine didn't head to Dalton this morning. He wanted to talk to his mother about Kurt. Although they weren't really close, Blaine did believe that his mom wanted him to be happy, and that she wouldn't cause any type of impediment to their plans. He had been staying at the guesthouse almost exclusively since he and Kurt first made love there. It is where he feels at peace. He loves Kurt, and the thought of waking up each morning in his arms was almost overwhelming.

Coming in through the back door, Blaine saw his mom standing at the kitchen counter. "Good Morning, Mom". Blaine was not wearing his uniform, which was noticed immediately.

"Good Morning, my son. No school today?"

"Not today. I actually wanted to talk to you about something. Well, about someone".

"Come, sit. Let me just grab my coffee. Are you hungry, honey? Do you want me to make you something?"

Blaine had major butterflies in his stomach, so the thought of food made his head spin. "No, I'll pass. So Mom…"

"It's nice to see your face this morning, Blaine. I don't see you much anymore".

"And that's what I want to talk to you about." Here we go. Blaine braced himself. "Mom, I've met someone that I'm crazy about".

"Oh…who is she?"

"Mom, don't". Blaine lowed his eyes from his mother's face. He didn't want to see the disappointment. Again.

"I'm sorry, honey. That wasn't fair. But you can't blame a mother for trying. So go on…who is this special someone that has my son so captivated that he's forgotten about his family and apparently his schooling".

"His name is Kurt. Kurt Hummel. He actually went to Dalton for a while, but is now back at McKinley. He's amazing, Mom". Blaine looked directly as his mother. "I love him."

"I see. So he goes to McKinley. Why did he leave Dalton?"

"Multiple not important reasons, Mom".

"Go on".

"It's really hard now that we're in different schools to spend as much time together as we'd like. So…."

"Blaine, are you asking my permission for your friend to move in with you out there?"

"Mom, he's not a "friend'. He's my boyfriend".

"But does he love you? It's not like the other times, is it?"

Blaine cringed as his mother reminded him of all of his unrequited crushes over the years. Maybe it's not a good idea to throw Kurt into the same room as his parents. He might hear things that will hurt him. "Mom, this is not a crush. I need you to understand that. Kurt is the one".

"I just know how quickly things lose their fascination for you, honey. I don't want your friend…"

"He's NOT my friend. Mom, I love him, ok? If I could marry him right now, I would. Please understand, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to you or Dad, but you've always told me that I should be my own person. That's all I'm trying to do. And Kurt makes me a better person. I need you to trust me on this".

"Well, this Kurt sounds like quite a catch. It's your guesthouse, Blaine. If you feel that you would be happy setting up house out there, that's up to you. But let me break this to your father. He might not be as supportive. And please bring Kurt to dinner one night soon. I have a feeling he's going to be a part of our life for a while."

"Not for a while, Mom. Forever".

Leaving his parent's kitchen, Blaine wondered to himself—did his mother really understand, or just not care?

"Another great dinner, hon." Burt told Carol, who was busy clearing the table.

Finn still sat there, eating. A bottomless pit, Kurt marveled.

"So Kurt. We're all ears. What did you want to talk about?"

"Can we go into the living room? I want everyone's undivided attention"

Kurt was starting to fidget with his sleeves, which did not go unnoticed by his father.

"Hey, buddy…relax. Carol, come on. Finn, put down the fork. What is it, Kurt?"

Kurt looked at the faces of his family, every one of them etched with concern. "So, you all know that Blaine and I are a couple now. A real couple".

The faces all looked at him silently and nodded in unison.

"Right...so here's the thing. With me not being at Dalton anymore, it's really hard sometimes to get time to see each other."

Burt looked down at his hands, feeling again the sadness of having had to pull Kurt out of Dalton. "I'm really sorry, son".

"No, Dad. I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I just…Blaine and I have been getting closer…as you know…" Kurt's face began to blush as he remembered his phone call to his Dad the first night he and Blaine spent together. "And we've sort of figured out a way to spend more time together. That's what I want to talk to you all about."

Finn looked up as the term "getting closer" finally registered. "Wow…do you mean that you and Blaine are…like…doing it?"

Carol play smacked Finn in the back of the head. "That's your brother's business, Finn. Now, go on Kurt."

Kurt was still looking at Finn. "Ok, so what we were thinking is, since Blaine has this really nice guesthouse on his property, that we would, you know, use it on the weekends…to hang out…" Kurt stopped to let what he was saying sink in.

"By hang out, what exactly do you mean?" Burt asked the question, but Kurt knew, by the look on his face, that he already knew the answer, and was not thrilled.

Kurt hesitated, as the words stuck in this throat.

"It's ok, sweetie. Just say it". Carol walked over to Kurt and put her hands on his shoulders.

"What I'd like...what we'd like…to do is see each other when we can during the week…which won't be a lot because of school and Glee Club and such...but on Fridays, I would head out to his place and just stay until Sunday afternoon, and I'd be here to head back to school on Monday morning". Ok, now it's out there.

Burt looked at Finn. "Did you know about this?"

"No. I'm still trying to get the imagine of the two of them, you know, doing it out of my brain." Kurt looked at Finn. So much for moral support.

"Kurt, I don't know if this is such a good idea. I mean, honestly, you guys are so young to be doing something like this. Whatever happened to...you know…courting someone".

"Well, since it isn't 1950 anymore…"

"Kurt, don't be sarcastic. I really don't know about this. And what do Blaine's parents think? Are they ok with this?"

"Of course they are. How could they not love having me around?" Kurt cringed a little bit at the thought of stretching the truth with his family. He's never even met Blaine's family.

"Well I think it's cool" came spilling out of Finn's mouth. "It's like I have a brother in law or something". Kurt offered up a small smile at his clueless brother.

"Kurt, I think your father and I need to just talk about this. But we are both so happy to see you with someone that you care so much about—and who cares about you. Right, Burt?"

Burt looked at his son, who was so obviously not his little boy anymore, and nodded in agreement. "I want you to be happy, kiddo. That's all I've ever wanted."

"Meet me for coffee?" Kurt texted Blaine, already missing him.

"But of course" was the reply, almost instantly. "Love You".

"Love you right back". And every time he said it, he meant it more.

Kurt arrived first, and just stared at the door, waiting. His stomach was nervous as he thought about what living with Blaine—even only partially—would mean. And, if Kurt was being truthful with himself, he thought about the physical part of the relationship. No waiting…no wondering…they now knew every part of each other, and nothing would stand in the way of enjoying that knowledge whenever they wanted. In their own bed.

He looked at his watch, wondering what was taking Blaine so long. Finally, he walked in, and as always, took Kurt's breath away. He then looked at Blaine's hand, which was carrying something with a cover over it.

"What have we here"?

"Well, I know how much you miss Pavarotti, so I thought we could have our first pet". Blaine pulled the cover off of the small cage, and Kurt smiled as he saw a beautiful blue bird looking back at him. He got up from his chair and hugged Blaine. "I love him. Or her. I love it!". Blaine was never happier than when he brought a smile to Kurt's face. Kurt took the cage from his boyfriend's hand. "And birdy makes three".

"So, roomie…how did it go with the family?"

"Not as frightening as I thought. Some concerns, and I'm sure some questions, but they just want me happy."

"Yeah, same here". Blaine didn't want to get into the whole conversation that he'd had with his mother. Another time, perhaps.

"So what should we name him? I like Bocelli. Sounds romantic. Bocelli Anderson-Hummel."

"I think that's adorable. Bocelli it is". Blaine said that he would take their new pet back to the guesthouse so that he could get used to it. He would borrow Pavarotti's old cage for more space once they got settled.

By Wednesday, Kurt could not stop thinking about the coming weekend. He was deciding what outfits to bring when he was startled by a voice behind him in the hall. Karofsky.

"So I hear you and your lady friend are shacking up now. How sweet".

Kurt kept walking, trying to ignore the other comments that were being hurled at him, and wondering why Karofsky just never got tired of this. And how did he know? Then it dawned on him. Finn. Kurt turned into a classroom that wasn't his, and waited for Karofsky to keep walking by. He looked at his watch. Only two days and he would feel safe again with Blaine.

"I would appreciate you not discussing my personal business with that animal", Kurt fumed at Finn.

"I didn't say anything to him, Kurt. I was talking to Sam. He must have overheard me. Give me more credit than that".

"I'm sorry, Finn, but I don't want him knowing anything about what I do. He scares me, you know?" Finn walked over and put his arm around Kurt. "You know I'd never let him hurt you, right? I've got your back."

Friday came and Kurt jumped in his car to head to the guesthouse. He couldn't wait to see Blaine. Texting and talking on the phone was one thing, but he just wanted to be in Blaine's arms and feel his kisses. Maybe they would cuddle in bed and watch a movie. Blaine's choice this time.

He planned on getting there before Blaine so that he could decorate a little bit and visit with Bocelli. They were going to have dinner, and then try to get together with Blaine's mom. His dad was out of town on business, so maybe this would not be as painful as Kurt was anticipating. Win over his mom, and he'd have an ally. He walked over to the door, turned the key, and started whistling to encourage Bocelli to do the same. It worked.

About fifteen minutes later, there was knock at the door. Kurt turned towards it and shouted out "Did you forget your keys, beautiful?" as he turned the doorknob.

Blaine pulled into the driveway, trying to juggle a bag of groceries in each hand. He stopped at the main house to talk to him mom for a second.

"Hi, Mom. How are you?"

"I'm good. What's all this?"

"Kurt and I are going to use the grill tonight if that's ok. And then we'd like to come up and visit with you for a bit. I want you to get to know him, Mom. You'll love him."

"That's fine. I'll be home all night. So are you having a big get together?

"What do you mean?" Blaine was confused by the question.

"Well, other than the other boy that's here?"

"Mom…what other boy?" Blaine didn't remember Kurt saying anyone else was coming over. This night was just supposed to be for them-their first night together as live-ins.

"The one from the football team. He said he was a friend of Kurt's so I just told him to go on back…"

Blaine dropped the bags on the floor and ran across the grounds to the guesthouse. His heart was racing as every form of horrible thought ran through his head. He got to the door, where he saw a new "Home Sweet Home" mat on the ground, slightly askew. Kurt would not have left it like that. The door was partially opened, and Blaine pushed it the rest of the way.

The room looked like there had been a struggle, and Bocelli's cage was on the floor on its side. It was empty.

"Kurt?" Blaine shouted his name, having a hard time breathing. "Kurt?"

Blaine's mother appeared at the door, and then stepped inside. "Honey, what's happening?"

He turned to his mom, tears running down his face.

"He found him".


	2. Teamwork

"I'm going to kill him, I swear to God", Puck said, his hands pounding the steering wheel.

Kurt was sitting between Finn and Sam in the back seat, holding Bocelli close to his chest, rocking him. He hasn't said a word since leaving the small home that he and Blaine were creating. Finn put his arm around him, and tears rimmed Kurt's eyes as he put his head on Finn's shoulder.

"This needs to stop. NOW. This guy is a lunatic, and isn't this, like, stalking or something"? Sam struggled to find the right words. "Can we call the police"?

"Kurt…buddy…you need to talk to us, ok? What happened before we got there"?

Finn felt helpless. He looked at Sam and shrugged his shoulders.

"He is not getting away with this, Kurt. No way. I'll take another stint in juvie to teach this guy a lesson". Puck looked in the rear view mirror at Finn. "I will".

Finally, very quietly, Kurt looked up at Finn and said, "I want Blaine".

"We're going home first. I want to get you in your room, and one of us will stay with you until Burt gets home, and then..."

"Finn, he can't know about this. He can't. He won't let me stay at Blaine's if he doesn't think I'm safe there. Please".

"Kurt, you _aren't_ safe there. I can't let anything happen to you, and I'm not going to lie to your father".

"What if he hurts Blaine? We don't know where he went. What if he's waiting there when Blaine gets home? Finn, we need to go back for him".

"His family is there, Kurt. Your family is here." Those words stung Kurt, as if slapped in the face. Blaine is his family too. His partner.

Kurt dissolved into tears, which was almost too much for Puck. "It's ok, kid…let's just get you home and we'll figure this out, ok"?

"Blaine, we need to call the police. If Kurt is in danger, we need to do something".

"Do something? You pointed him right to him. You told him where he was, alone. You don't know what he's done to Kurt. The reason Kurt was at Dalton was because of him". Blaine sat on the couch feeling helpless. "I need to call Finn".

Blaine dialed the number, which went right to voicemail. He didn't leave a message. He didn't know what to say. He looked around their little home, at the birdcage on the floor, the broken glass, Kurt's keys on the counter. He couldn't fight him. He didn't have the strength. But where would he take him? And his heart broke as he thought of Kurt calling for help, and him not being there for him. His mother sat down next to him, and as Blaine looked down at the floor, she tried to get him to re-focus on what was happening. "Do you have a picture of Kurt, honey?. I want to see what the boy my son loves so much looks like". Blaine took his wallet from his pocket, and pulled out a picture they had taken at a photo booth right after Kurt had started at Dalton. They were wearing matching scarves. "He has beautiful eyes, Blaine."

"I know, Mom. When he looks at me, I see everything good in them".

Sam slid out of the car first, and put his hands out for Bocelli. Kurt looked at him, nodded, and then handed his precious gift from Blaine to him. Puck came to help Kurt out of the car, putting his hand out to his friend. Kurt grabbed it, and as he stood up, he felt lightheaded. Finn walked over and picked Kurt up, tossing Puck the house keys. Once the door was open, Finn went straight down to Kurt's room and placed him gently on the bed. "You, stay put", Finn said, and motioned to Puck and Sam to come upstairs with him. Sam put Bocelli next to Kurt on the bed, and gave him a weak smile. Kurt mouthed the words "thank you" to him before he headed upstairs.

"We have got to go find this loser and teach him a lesson".

Finn looked at his phone and saw that there was a missed call from Blaine.

"I wish he would tell us what Karofsky said to him".

"Let me talk to him". Finn and Sam looked at Puck. "What? Kurt's my boy. Let me try. What do we have to lose?"

"Fine, but go easy on him, ok. I need to call Blaine and see what's going on over there". Finn dialed Blaine's number while Puck went downstairs to talk to Kurt.

"Hey…what's going on? How's Big Bird"?

"His name is Bocelli. Blaine gave him to me" Kurt ran a finger over the bird's tiny head. "He won't sing for me".

"You'll both be singing in no time. So…just between us, what did that tool say to you? I won't repeat it. But I want to know what we're dealing with here".

Kurt just looked away from Puck, causing him to walk to the other side of the bed to meet Kurt's stare. "We can do this all night, Kurt. I'm an athlete. I'm good on my feet".

They were interrupted by a tap at the door. Finn and Sam both came down, looking at Puck to see if he'd found anything out. He just shook his head.

"I just spoke to Blaine, he's ok and he's on the way over. He was actually on his way here when I called him. And he's very relieved that you're here with us, and not off with…"

"Don't say it, please…Finn. Don't you see…that's what he wants."

"Kurt, what are you saying? Blaine doesn't want that. He could barely speak when I told him you were ok. Why…"

"No, Karofsky. He wants me. He said…". Kurt stopped in mid sentence.

Sam kneeled down next to the bed. "Tell us, Kurt. It's ok. We won't tell anyone. Right, guys"?

Kurt looked up at Finn and Puck, and they both nodded yes.

No one heard Blaine at the door, so he let himself in. He followed the voices from Kurt's room, and as he was walking down the steps, he saw Kurt, looking so frail amongst his bigger friends. A few more steps down, Blaine's heart almost stopped as he heard Kurt, his Kurt, say-

"Maybe I should just let him do what he wants to do to me and be done with it".

"What? What did you just say?" Blaine screamed without realizing that he was, and looked at Kurt's tear stained face.

"Go easy, Blaine. He doesn't mean it. He's having a hard enough time right now." Blaine looked at Finn, then at Kurt, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. "I can't believe what you just said. You want him to touch you? Is that what you want?"

Sam walked up to Blaine and tried to put his hand on his shoulder. Blaine looked at Sam and said "No. I want him to look at me and tell me that's what he wants". Blaine meant none of this. He was dying inside. His Kurt with someone else? With Karofsky? But he needed to get through to him, even if it hurt both of them.

"What's the turn on for you, huh, Kurt? Is it the football jacket? The way he would push you around? Oh, wait, I know…he's a better kisser than me." This last comment hurt the most. Blaine knew exactly how sickened Kurt was by Karofsky kissing him.

Kurt began sobbing as Puck started to make a move on Blaine. "That's enough, Preppie. Enough"! Puck began to shove Blaine back up the stairs, and Kurt yelled out for Puck not to hurt him.

"No? But you like that Kurt, right? You like when big strong Dave shoves you into lockers? Do you like it better when he just shoves you into the locker, or when he actually knocks you to the ground? Do you like it rough like that, Kurt"? Blaine was crying now, beyond consolation. He was saying things that he didn't mean, horrible things, hurting the one he loves, but he needed Kurt to say it…

"Blaine…stop…" Finn couldn't take what this was doing to Kurt. Maybe he was wrong—they were all wrong—about Blaine.

"I've had enough". Blaine turned his back on the group and started heading up the stairs.

"He told me if you were out of the picture, I would be his". Kurt looked at Blaine's back as he stopped on the stairs. Kurt began to sob so hard he could barely speak. "I won't let him hurt you. I don't care what I have to do. I love you, Blaine. I won't let him hurt you…I won't…"

Blaine ran down the steps to Kurt, and knelt on the floor in front of him, pulling him tightly to him and wrapping his arms around him. Into his ear, he whispered gently "I love you, Kurt. I'm so sorry".

"Kurt…baby…look at me". Blaine held Kurt's face in his hands and could see the heartache in his sad blue eyes. "He can't touch us. Look around us. Do you think these guys are going to let him hurt you? Hurt us? I don't know about you, but I trust these three. They got to you before anything really bad happened…right? They figured it out before I could".

Kurt nodded, and Blaine leaned over to kiss him, tasting Kurt's tears. He didn't care who was watching. He loves Kurt. It killed him inside to have had to say those things to him, but they needed to know what happened before they had gotten there, before they stopped Karofsky from doing…who knows what.

Finn looked away, a little embarrassed at both the public display of affection and the tears that were welling up in his own eyes. "The guy is an idiot. When Kurt told me that Karofsky had said something about you two living together, it kind of creeped me out. So when Kurt left McKinley on Friday, I watched, and saw Karofsky pull out right behind him. I grabbed these two and we followed him". Blaine had pulled Kurt up onto the bed and they were propped up on the pillows, where he held Kurt and ran his fingers through his hair.

"But how did he get inside"?

"When he knocked at the door, I thought it was you…that you'd forgotten your keys. I had Bocelli in my hand, and when I opened the door, and saw it was him, I couldn't push the door closed without dropping the little one. When he pushed in, he hit the table and knocked the cage over…he asked where my girlfriend was…said that I wasn't so innocent anymore…and that if you were out of the picture he could…have me". Blaine pulled him in tighter, and kissed the top of his head.

"Gentlemen, I hate this guy." Blaine said over the top of Kurt's head.

"He started coming towards me, but then I saw him get pulled back by Finn. Sam told me to get into the bedroom and lock the door. I don't remember what happened after that".

"We got in a couple of good shots, but the loser took off. We should have gone after him, but we were more concerned about this one here", Puck smiled and nodded at Kurt.

"Don't worry, Kurt. We've got this. He won't bother you any more". Sam sat on the edge of the bed. "But do me a favor. Don't make me hold that bird anymore…kinda freaks me out a little".

"Deal".

"Hey Finn…grab a piece of paper and a pen so that I can give you my mom's number in case you need it". Finn seemed confused, but handed him the paper anyway. Blaine leaned over onto the nightstand and said as he was writing, "I just want her to know what's going on". Finn picked up the paper, where Blaine had written "Call Burt". Finn looked at Blaine and nodded.

"Now, if you three wouldn't mind, I'd like some alone time with my boyfriend", and he kissed Kurt gently on the lips.

"That's gross. Not because he's a dude. But it's my brother. Gross".

Finn, Sam and Puck headed up the stairs, making kissing sounds as they did. They had saved Kurt, and would deal with Karofsky. So anything they did was fine by Blaine.

"So, my darling baby penguin…" Blaine pulled Kurt in closer…"it's on to Plan B".


	3. Breakdown

"Burt? Hey, listen, we've had a little bit of a problem out at Blaine and Kurt's place".

"What kind of problem?" Burt put down the tools he was holding.

"Seems like Karofsky got wind that they were kind of living together and went out there. He caught Kurt alone and..."

"Is Kurt ok?" Burt raised his voice, causing others in his shop to turn and look. "Is he hurt?"

"No, we got there before anything happened, but he's pretty shaken up. He's back home...well, our home… with Blaine. And Burt…he didn't want you to know about this."

"Of course I should know about it. I'm his father. I'll be home in a few minutes".

"Burt…I think you should let Blaine deal with him right now."

"Finn, don't tell me how to be a parent, ok?" Burt immediately regretted the tone he used. "I'm sorry. I just can't believe this is happening again".

"No, it's just…when you see them together, it's kind of cool. They really are a couple, you know"?

Finn was sitting on the front step when Burt pulled into the driveway. "Did anyone call the police on this guy? He's been told to stay away from Kurt." Burt tried to push his way past Finn, who put his hand on Burt's arm.

"I think there's a bigger problem here. Karofsky told Kurt that he wanted Blaine out of the picture so that he could have Kurt to himself. So Kurt isn't thinking straight right now. He just wants to protect Blaine."

"Finn, come on. You and I both know that Kurt can't stand up to Karofsky".

"Yeah, and that's the problem. Kurt thinks if he just gives Karofsky what he wants"…Finn started shifting on his feet, having to say this to Burt.. "that he'll leave them alone".

"And what does Blaine think about this brilliant idea?"

"Burt, come on. Blaine loves him. He would never do anything to put Kurt in harms way. Sam and Puck went out looking for Karofsky."

"You mean he's out there wandering around, while these two boys are here like sitting ducks?"

"Something like that. Listen…let's just take it easy when we go inside, ok. It was pretty intense in there earlier."

They went inside, careful to not let the door slam behind them. Burt looked at Finn when he heard-what, singing?- coming from Kurt's room.

"_Wouldn't it be nice if we were older?_

_Then we wouldn't have to wait so long_

_And wouldn't it be nice to live together _

_In the kind of world where we belong_

_You know it's gonna make it that much better_

_When we can say goodnight and stay together"._

"Is that the Beach Boys?"

"Well, you know Kurt. He likes the classics. And the beach. And, well…boys".

They went to the top of the stairs, and quietly made their way down to the middle step. Burt was riveted by what he saw.

Blaine and Kurt were lying on Kurt's bed. Kurt was sound asleep in the crook of Blaine's arm, and Blaine was singing to him quietly while he ran his fingers along the side of his head, brushing his hair back. If Burt was honest with himself, it really was something beautiful to see. And he thought about Kurt's mother, who would be so happy that their son had someone in his life that loved him this much.

Blaine turned when he heard movement near the stairs, and make a "shhhh" gesture with his finger against his lips. He moved his arm from underneath Kurt and whispered in his ear "I'll be right back, beautiful", kissing him softly on the cheek. As Finn and Burt made their way back up the stairs, Blaine followed, looking back once at his sleeping boyfriend.

"He's been like this for about an hour or so", Blaine said, as he ran his fingers through his own messy hair. "I think he's just so exhausted from fighting this same battle over and over." He looked at Finn "Anything on Karofsky?"

"Not yet. But they'll find him."

The three looked at each other, realizing that all of the men that Kurt loved the most were there to make sure he stayed safe.

Finn looked up as he saw a flash of blue fly by and land on the couch.

"What on earth…", Burt looked at Bocelli sitting there, then turned his glance to Blaine. "Care to explain"?

"That's Bocelli. I bought him for Kurt because I know he misses Pavarotti".

"Burt, it's kind of like your grand-bird". Finn laughed as he said it, wondering why Burt didn't also find the humor in his statement. "Wow. Tough crowd".

"Ok, let's figure this out before Kurt gets up." Burt directed them both to sit on the couch. "So let me get this straight. Karofsky thinks that if you, Blaine, are out of the picture, then Kurt will just run to him with open arms? Is he serious"?

"Sadly, he is. Kurt is so worked up about something happening to me that he said he was willing to do "anything"—his words—to make sure I don't get hurt. I was pretty rough on him before, and I feel horrible about it".

Finn looked at the confused expression on Burt's face. "We were trying to get Kurt to tell us exactly what Karofsky said to him, and Blaine had to use a little "tough love" on him. It worked, but kind of left Kurt in a bad way".

"I hope you know that I would never do anything, or say anything, that would hurt him", Blaine said to no one in particular. "I love him".

"So what do we do? As long as you two are together, Karofsky is going to continue to be a threat until we find him. If you aren't together…" Burt was interrupted quickly by Blaine.

"But, that's not going to happen. I'm not leaving him".

"What I was going to say is that if weren't together, Kurt would be so heartbroken that he wouldn't be thinking clearly. We can't have him walking around like that. It would be like he had a huge target on his back".

"Blaine could stay here with us". Finn said it, and then sat back on the couch, pleased with the suggestion.

This was so not what Blaine wanted. All of the plans that he and Kurt had, to live together in their little home on the weekends—they were falling apart. Granted, right now the guesthouse was not a safe option, until they got some type of security system in place. Blaine was being completely selfish in his thoughts. The relationship between he and Kurt was different now. They were not just holding hands and stealing kisses anymore. They were lovers. And he wanted that part of their relationship to continue. How could they do that under Burt's roof? He shook his head to clear the images of he and Kurt together in that way, and got back to the conversation at hand.

Before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Puck and Sam. And they didn't look happy.

"No sign of him. It's like he crawled under a rock somewhere. We even went to his house. His old man said he hasn't seen him since last night. I don't know if I believe him. I think he's covering".

"I don't know, Puck. His father seemed genuinely disturbed about all of this."

"So what next?" Sam looked at Finn, who was thankful that his brother had all of this support around him.

Blaine slipped away to check on Kurt, and came back to say that he was getting a little restless. "We need to make a decision soon, guys".

"I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it, Blaine. And it's going to hurt Kurt…but just for a little while…"

They all looked at Sam. "You know, Karofsky will resurface if he thinks that Blaine is no longer a factor. He wants Kurt. He's already said that".

"But the idea is to keep him from getting to him. That's why we're all here". Finn looked at Blaine, who seemed to already have distanced himself from the conversation.

"If he thinks that all of this has caused the two of them to split up, he'll be back. He's shown that he's not thinking clearly. His goal is Kurt. Without Blaine, Kurt, to him, is available. If he…"

"I don't like it, Sam. We'd be putting Kurt in danger leaving him alone with this guy." Burt looked over at Blaine, who just looked back and forth between each of them.

Blaine finally spoke up. "So let me get this straight. I'm supposed to break up with Kurt to send Karofsky a message that he's now up for grabs. Are you all crazy? I'm not going to break up with him, and Kurt would never believe it if I told him that I was. I told him ten times today that I love him. That's supposed to change in an instant"?

"That's why you need to be really convincing when you do it.". Finn put his hand on Blaine's shoulder. "It won't be real, but Kurt, and Karofsky, need to think it is. Once we have Karofsky in hand, Kurt will know it was all an act. It's a good plan, Blaine."

"No! It's a terrible plan. How can I do that to him? You saw how he reacted when I was saying all of those things to him today. What do you think will happen if I tell him, even as a lie, that I want to break up? That's not fair to him. I won't do it."

Burt walked over to Blaine and turned him so that they were face to face.

"Blaine, I know you love Kurt. I know that. But if the only way that we can get Karofsky to resurface, and get him some help, is to put on this charade and let him think that you've abandoned Kurt, then we need to do it. I don't see a whole lot of other options, do you"?

"Why can't we just tell Kurt that we're doing this? I don't want to hurt him".

Puck chimed in. "Let's face it. Kurt's my boy and all, but he can be a little bit of a drama queen. He might over act. Just saying".

Sam looked at Blaine and could feel the sadness in him rising to the surface. "Blaine, just make it public, and make it look real. Let us do the rest."

"Hey. What's all this about." Kurt had come upstairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Blaine looked at him and thought about how adorable he looked. He wanted to wake up every morning next to Kurt.

"Hi, sleeping beauty. We were all just having some boy talk. You hungry"?

Kurt had walked over and picked up Bocelli, rubbing his head with his thumb. "A little".

"Ok, why don't you give me our little friend, and you go get yourself together. You can't meet your public looking like that:. Blaine put his hand on Kurt's face, looking into those eyes. What he was going to do to him was unconscionable.

Kurt ran down to his room to get ready. Blaine turned and looked at the circle that had formed around him. "This better work, because I don't think I'll be able to take it if I damage my relationship with Kurt beyond repair. That won't be fair to either one of us".

Kurt came back looking better, but still worn out. He reached for Blaine's hand, and they walked towards the door, with a backward glance from Blaine. He just shook his head at the others.

After riding in the car for a few minutes, Blaine broke the silence. "So what are you hungry for"?

"Something light. And we need to stop on the way back for some food and a new cage for Bocelli. I think he's nervous with all of the open space around him".

"Yeah, we can do that."

"You ok? Are you upset with me?"

"No, Kurt. I'm not upset with you".

Kurt looked at Blaine from the passenger seat, and could see tension on his face. Being with me isn't easy, Kurt thought.

Make it public, Blaine thought to himself. "How about Breadsticks"?

"Perfect. I'll bring some of the leftovers back for our little one".

They found a parking spot, and Blaine came around to open the car door for Kurt. When he closed the door, Kurt put his hands around his waist and kissed him. Hard. Blaine felt his legs get weak, and returned the kiss, not wanting it to ever end. Blaine broke their kiss first, and looked at his beautiful Kurt. I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do to you, he thought as he turned to head in to the restaurant.

They went to their usual table, seeing many familiar faces, including several members of the football team.

"What can I get you guys?"

"We just need a few minutes, thanks." Blaine smiled up at the waitress. He looked at his watch. It was almost 10pm. How is it possible to pile so much misery into one day?

"So, quite a day, huh?" Kurt reached across the table and took Blaine's hands in his, something they had done a hundred times before. Blaine pulled his hands from beneath Kurt's, and said "Kurt, we need to talk about something".

"I know. It looks like the guesthouse is not going to be an option for a while. Maybe we can get sturdier locks. Or a security system? I know my Dad…"

"Kurt, we're not going to need any of those things. We're not going to be living there."

"Oh, did you find another place? I mean, I bought some curtains and stuff, but I can just exchange them".

"No, Kurt. I'll be living there. Alone".

There was a physical double take from Kurt as the words left Blaine's mouth. "I don't understand. I mean, I know my Dad is worried, but I think we'll be ok there once everything blows over".

"There isn't going to be a "we", Kurt. I just don't think this is going to work between us."

Tears started welling in Kurt's eyes. "I don't understand. What are you saying"?

"I'm saying that I think it's best if you and I are not together. I can't deal with all of the drama around us, Kurt. It's just becoming too much". Blaine felt like a knife was cutting away at his heart. The look on Kurt's face was worse than he's even imagined.

"But we…Blaine, I don't understand. You and I are…"

"Done, Kurt. We're done". Kurt began to shake his head, as if he could not understand what was happening. How could he, Blaine thought. Twenty-four hours ago, they were planning a life together.

"Blaine, please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about what happened today, I'm sorry that I'm not…." Kurt was becoming louder, and people were starting to look in their direction. Kurt reached for Blaine's hands, and he pulled them away a second time.

"Kurt, you need to just deal with this and move on. You really didn't think that I was ready to commit myself to one person yet, did you?" This was the biggest lie of all. Blaine was determined to spend the rest of his life with Kurt. But after this, it may be impossible.

"Blaine, I love you so much. What happened? Why are you doing this to us?"

Tears were running down Kurt's face as he tried to look into Blaine's eyes. Blaine just looked away. People were now whispering and looking at them with sympathy, as they would any other couple that was breaking up.

"I think it would be best if Finn came to get you. I don't want to prolong this any more than necessary. I'm sorry Kurt." Blaine pushed away from the table and looked down at Kurt, who had his head bowed and his hands in his lap. Blaine could see the tears dropping from Kurt's eyes onto his pant legs. It took everything in him to not confess the truth, to tell Kurt how much he loves him, and to hold him and never let him go. Instead, Blaine walked towards the door.

Kurt looked up at him, sobbing. "I don't understand, Blaine. Is…is there someone else"?

Pushing the door open, Blaine landed the final blow.

"Yes, there is".


	4. Damages

Blaine had barely made it to his car before he burst into tears, his heart broken. What had he just done to the love of his life? He struggled to dial Finn's number, barely able to see the keypad. The look on Kurt's face will haunt him until the day he takes his last breath.

"Finn…you need to get here right now. I did what you all wanted, and I don't think I can deal with this. Please hurry".

"Dude, I'm stuck behind an accident. I thought you were going to tell him to call me for a ride? I haven't gotten anything from him".

"That's because when I left him, he was barely able to speak. I should never have listened to you. I can't believe what I just did to him. In front of all of those people".

"Blaine, if you had an audience, Karofsky will know soon enough. He'll try something, and you and Kurt will be together again soon. Just hang in there, ok"?

Blaine couldn't bear the thought of Kurt sitting in there alone, hurting so badly over something that he did. And why did he say that there was someone else? Blaine cursed himself over and over for this. Why? Any lingering doubts that Kurt had about being Blaine's "first" would now be all but confirmed in his mind. He will never trust him again. He was so afraid of being compared to a former lover that imagined that Blaine had, and now Blaine had basically told him that he was just another guy who meant nothing. The tears that Blaine was shedding were for the loss of so many things tonight. Kurt was his first…and his last. How will he ever make this right again?

Kurt sat numbly in his seat, as if paralyzed. His head was cloudy. What had just happened? He looked up, seeing but not seeing, and felt stares from all around. Blaine had broken up with him. Why? Just an hour or so earlier, he was lying asleep in Blaine's arms. Kurt couldn't move. It was as if he willed himself to stay there, because if he moved, it would mean he would have to go on without Blaine. And he couldn't.

"Hey, Lady Boy…trouble in paradise?". Kurt wasn't even sure who said it. He just closed his eyes, praying that when he opened them, this would all have been a bad dream.

Finn waited for the call that never came from Kurt. He finally arrived at Breadsticks almost 30 minutes after Blaine's call, and rushed inside to find Kurt still sitting there, an almost catatonic look on his face. Seeing Kurt like this was rough, and he had to keep reminding himself that they were doing this for his own good. Right now, it wasn't looking like such a great idea.

"Hey, buddy…what's going on? Kurt?"

Kurt didn't answer. Finn pulled up a chair next to him, and put his arm around his shoulders. "Come on, let's get you home". Finn tried to lift Kurt up, and was shocked when he put up some resistance.

"No! What if he comes back? I need to wait for him. Finn…Why? Why would he do this"?

Finn had to pretend that this was all new news to him. "Tell me what happened, Kurt. Let's walk and talk, ok"? Kurt was unsteady on his feet, and Finn had to push him along to his car, buckling him in once he was in the seat. It didn't take long before Kurt had dissolved into tears, with Finn helpless beside him. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Finn saw Blaine's car in the far corner under one of the lights. He had to squint to be sure what he saw, and it just made this whole situation worse. Blaine was slumped over his steering wheel, his shoulders moving as he wept over the loss of Kurt.

When they pulled up to the house, Kurt was inconsolable. Finn left him alone for a moment to run to the front door to get Burt, who came out and carried Kurt into the house. Carol was waiting just inside the door, her hand on her heart when she saw Kurt. "The poor thing. Was all of this necessary, honestly?"

Burt lay Kurt in his bed, and put his hand on his son's head. "It'll be ok, Kurt. You rest".

He went back upstairs, and Finn immediately said, "I don't think we should leave him alone. I'm really worried about him." He paced the living room floor for a few minutes, and then looked at Burt and Carol, fear etched on his face. "I heard on TV that someone could die of a broken heart. That's not true, is it"?

Just after midnight, Finn walked down a few steps into Kurt's room, and heard his brother weeping softly into his pillows. He continued down, and sat on the side of Kurt's bed. Kurt looked up at him, his eyes red and full of sadness, and just kept asking why. Why would Blaine do this? Finn felt like a traitor.

"Hey, move over". Finn slid himself into the bed, sitting up on the pillows. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television, hoping to distract not only Kurt, but also the thoughts going through his own head. "Come here, Kurt". He put his arm around Kurt, and held on to him. As Kurt fell into a fitful sleep, Finn looked down at his fragile brother, and he felt his own heart get heavier and heavier with each breath. He had promised Kurt, when their parents got married, that he would always have his back. He had failed miserably.

Blaine needed to make sure that Kurt was ok. He just wanted to see him for what he feared would be the last time. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was well after midnight. He drove to Kurt's house in a daze, not sure what he would do once he got there. Pulling his car just up the street from their driveway, he walked slowly to the side of the house, where Kurt's room is. Blaine knelt down near the window, and through the curtains, with the light from the television reflecting through the room, he could see the two brothers, one asleep, and the other holding vigil over him. Blaine put his hand on the window, wanting to touch his Kurt.

"I'm so sorry, beautiful", he whispered, willing Kurt to hear him. Tears rolled down Blaine's face as Finn looked up and saw a shadow moving outside. He gently slid away from Kurt, and walked over to the window. He pulled the curtain away, and Blaine looked at him, mouthing, "I love him." Finn reached up and put his hand against the glass near Blaine's. "I know." Blaine looked one more time past Finn at Kurt, and nodded before walking away. Finn walked back to the bed, and slid back in beside Kurt. "Blaine?" Kurt said, half asleep. "No buddy, it's me. I'm here".

In the morning, Carol came downstairs to check on her boys. Finn was awake, barely. Kurt was in a sound sleep. It had been a rough night.

"Mom, I think we made a huge mistake". He reached for his phone to text Puck and Sam for a Karofsky update.

"Well, things have been put in motion, sadly at the expense of these two young men. Let's hope it's resolved quickly for their sake".

Finn started to get ready for school when he received am answer from Sam. Nothing new on Karofsky. Hopefully word got out that Kurt and Blaine had split, and this would be over soon.

"Mom, will you be home with Kurt today? He can't stay alone. I don't think he's up to going to school. I can stay with him if you can't".

"I'll be home with him, honey. I've made arrangements with work. Now you go ahead. We'll be fine."

Carol brought some breakfast down to Kurt, who was lying in bed, but clearly awake. "Kurt, sweetie, you need to eat something. Come on, sit up". Kurt wouldn't look at her, instead just shaking his head. He didn't want anything that was going to sustain him and make him live without Blaine. "Kurt, come on, you need to keep up your strength. Things will be ok. You two will get through this". Carol had to fight the urge to tell Kurt the truth. She would need to speak to Burt about this when he got home tonight.

"Mom?". Kurt had only one other time called her Mom. Right after she and Burt had gotten married, and Kurt introduced her as his Mom. It felt so good when he did it the first time. Now, it just made her sad. "What, honey"?

"Blaine said there was someone else. How could there be? We were together all the time. We were making our…" Kurt stopped to catch his breath… "our place like a home. What happened? What did I do wrong"?

"Kurt, you didn't do anything wrong. You know that Blaine loves you. Give him some time, ok? I'll leave this food here for you. Please eat a little bit for me".

Blaine didn't make it to class. He didn't have the strength to get out of bed. He returned to Dalton, not wanting to go back to the guesthouse until he could do so with Kurt. Wes and David stopped by several times during the day to check on him, only to find him still in bed, or sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

"Just tell him, Blaine. For crying out loud, you're miserable, you know that he's probably the same. Just tell him. The hell with this plan of theirs. It's your life. You and Kurt".

Blaine nodded. He just wants Kurt to be safe. That's what this is all about, isn't it?

Blaine's phone buzzed that a new text message had come in. He grabbed the phone, hoping against hope…but it was Finn.

"Just checking in on you, Blaine. You doing ok"?

"What do you think?"

"Hopefully not much longer. Hang in there"

"Easier said than done".

Blaine turned his phone off, and crawled back into bed. He couldn't sleep. He was afraid of what nightmares might come.

Burt decided to try to force the issue by arranging a meeting at the school with David's father, who Burt had always felt was a reasonable man.

"Paul, you need to tell me where your son is". Burt sat across from Paul Karofsky for the third time in a year. "He is ruining my son's life, and it has to stop. Your boy needs help. Please".

"I don't know where he is, Burt. I don't even know what happened out at your son and his boyfriend's place. David came home, grabbed a few things, said he was staying with a friend and ran out. I've tried to contact him, but he won't answer me. Don't you think I'm worried about _my_ son too"?

"Mr. Hummel…Mr. Karofsky…let's work on this situation together. We need to have any word on when David comes home, and we will arrange for some counseling for him, whatever it takes. And Kurt…we want him to come back as soon as he is up to it". Both men looked at the principal and nodded, with Burt leaving the room first. Yet again, nothing accomplished. He wished he could have kept Kurt at Dalton.

He went to Kurt's locker to try to get a few of his books so that Kurt could do some schoolwork if he was up to it. Looking at the combination that he had been given, he dialed the numbers carefully, opened the locker…and came face to face with Blaine's picture—the one that had been in Kurt's locker since they first met on his trip to Dalton. The guilt that Burt felt was overwhelming. He had to get these boys back together again somehow, Karofsky be damned. He called Finn and told him to get in touch with Puck and Sam, and the three of them should meet him at home. He then called Carol and said that he would be home in about 30 minutes. She told him that she needed to run out, but dinner was in the slow cooker, Kurt was sleeping, and she would be home as soon as she could. He was concerned about her leaving Kurt alone, if only for a few minutes. She promised to double lock the door on her way out.

Burt got there before the boys showed up, and when he opened the door, he was hit hard by the appearance of normalcy. The table was set, the house smelled warm and comforting. Like it used to, before this mess started. Finn, Sam and Puck came in right behind him.

"How's he doing, Mr. H"? Puck said as he sat down hard on the couch.

"His mom says that he's been sleeping most of the day, so I want us to keep it down. Ok, listen, I've been thinking about this. I think we may have jumped the gun on having Blaine…you know…" Burt couldn't bare to say the words.

"Finally!" Finn said, louder than he wanted to. "The hell with Karofsky. We can protect Kurt. If he wants to try something with all of us around him, then I say bring it. Let Blaine stay here if you're worried about them being safe. If he's that stupid…"

Sam suddenly said what everyone else was thinking. "What if Blaine and Kurt don't get back together? What if Kurt won't forgive him? From what I've heard, it was pretty brutal at Breadsticks that night".

"We need to tell Kurt the truth, so that he lets Blaine off the hook. Burt, can we please just tell him tonight? Let's get Blaine over here, and we can try to get them to work this out. Kurt loves him. He loves Kurt. Once they see each other, it will be ok. Right"?

Burt sighed, looking at the three faces staring back at him for guidance. He motioned to Kurt's door with his head. "Go get him, Finn".

Finn went to the door to Kurt's room and bounded down the steps. When he got to the bottom, he looked at Kurt's bed, which was empty. The television was still on. Bocelli was sitting on Kurt's chair, singing. It was the only sound in the room except for the hum of Kurt's laptop.

Finn walked over, and felt a wave of nausea come over him. He was looking at an open chat window-

TheKurtHummel: I know you can see this

TheKurtHummel: if you want me

TheKurtHummel: come and get me

TheKurtHummel: KH

Next to the laptop were Kurt's phone and a picture of he and Blaine, both smiling as they looked at each other. Finn picked up the phone, and looked at the screen. There was an unsent message to Blaine:

_I'll love you forever_.

Finn ran up the steps two at a time, and pushed past everyone, grabbing his car keys.

"He's gone. And he knows".


	5. Second Chance

While Finn started his car, Puck and Sam jumped in, and Burt yelled from the door to call him as soon as they found Kurt. The conversation started as soon as Finn pulled out of the driveway.

"I got to hand it to him, the kid is brave, trying to take on Karofsky by himself. But with no car, how far can he get?" Puck then asked Finn if he had called Blaine.

"I tried. His phone must be off. I can't believe what we've done to these two. If they don't work this out, I will never forgive myself. You know, I think they've…done it…" Finn immediately felt bad about sharing something so personal about his brother.

"Way too much info. Way, way too much", Sam said from the back seat.

"I just mean, it's cool, you know. They're like a real old married couple. Or they were. Do you know that Kurt had me help pick out curtains for their place"? Finn held his head up with a sense of pride.

"Listen, I need some new sheets if you want to weigh in with your choices".

"Shut up, Puckerman. You have no sense of romance."

"Not with you, I don't. You're not my type."

"I've been hearing that a lot lately." He smiled to himself when he remembered Kurt saying that to him not long ago. "Ok, so where would Kurt go to draw Karofsky out"?

"He wouldn't go to the school. I mean, it's too crowded. Kurt's too smart for that. I think he wants to be one on one with Karofsky. Which is exactly what we _don't_ want." Puck shook his head. "It's not like Kurt can move quickly. He's on foot".

"Why would Kurt leave his phone home? He knows that, if it came down to it, and he needed help, we couldn't track him without it." Just saying this made Finn feel uneasy.

"He doesn't want us to find him. He knows we've used him, and Blaine, so he doesn't want our help anymore. I don't really blame him".

Sam had been quiet for a few moments, and then realized something. "So, wait…Blaine would never turn his phone off while there was a chance of Kurt calling him, right? Could they be together"?

"Doubtful". Finn secretly hoped that they were together. It's how it should be. He looked at his watch. "Let's head over to Dalton and see if we can catch Blaine. He needs to know what's going on."

"Dude, I don't even think _we _ know what's going on anymore". Finn looked in the rear view mirror at Sam. He was right.

* * *

><p>Kurt stepped out of the cab, and paid the driver. He turned and walked towards the now familiar property.<p>

He knocked on the door, and waited. I guess no one is home, Kurt thought to himself. It was the middle of the day. He had made it down the front steps when the door slowly opened. He walked back up and held out his hand.

"Mrs. Anderson? We haven't met yet. My name is Kurt Hummel".

"I know exactly who you are. Blaine showed me your picture. How are you, Kurt? Would you like to come in"?

"I've been better, ma'am. I just wanted to ask…would you mind if I went back to the guesthouse? I left my keys there a few days ago. And I'd like to pick up the cage for our…for my... bird. I won't be but a minute".

"Of course you can, sweetie. It should be open". As he turned to walk down the path, his shoulders looking like they were carrying the weight of the world, she said, "Kurt?"

"Yes?" He stopped and looked at her. Blaine has her eyes.

"Nothing. It was very nice to finally meet you, Kurt Hummel."

When he got to the guesthouse, he fought the urge to turn and run. This was supposed to be their place. It _was_ their place. Where they slow danced together in the dark. Where they made love for the first time. He looked down and saw the Home Sweet Home mat that he had bought to surprise Blaine. He never even got to see his face when he saw it. Kurt bent down to straighten it out, then stood up and reached for the doorknob. All of their recent troubles started with the opening of this door to Karofsky. He braced himself and walked in.

Bocelli's cage was now on the table, and Kurt ran his fingers along the side, the metal bars cold against his skin. He looked on the counter for his keys, but they were no longer where he had left them. He sat on the couch, their couch, and thought about how things were supposed to be so different .

"Kurt"?

Kurt was startled as he looked up and saw Blaine standing in the doorway to the bedroom. He was a mess. And he was still the most gorgeous human being Kurt had ever laid eyes on.

"Sorry…I just came for…I'm really sorry" Kurt jumped up from the couch and started to head for the door. Why didn't Blaine's mother tell him that he was back here?

"Kurt, no! Please don't go." Blaine ran towards the door ahead of Kurt and leaned against it, causing Kurt to almost stumble backwards. "Please…"

"I have to. I can't be here with you." Kurt felt as if his heart was going to beat out of his chest. "Please move, Blaine. This isn't fair".

"Baby…just let me talk to you. If you want to go after that, I won't stop you. But you need to hear me out". Blaine took Kurt's hand, and just touching him made it almost impossible for Blaine to think straight. He led him over to the couch, and knelt down on the floor in front of him. He took both of Kurt's hands in his. They were shaking. He looked up at him, and felt himself drowning in those eyes.

"Kurt…I am so sorry that I hurt you. If I didn't think that being away from you would make you safe, I would never have done it. It killed me inside to say what I said to you that night". Blaine lifted Kurt's hands to his mouth, and kissed each one. "I love you".

"You said there was someone else. And I keep hearing you say it, over and over in my head. You. With someone else". Kurt had been trying to hold it together-to be strong. But he could feel the tears welling up. "I wanted to be your first, Blaine. You were mine".

"Kurt, you _were_ my first. There is no one else. That is something that is as true as my love for you. I have never done with anyone else what we've done together. And I never want to. It's just you, Kurt". Blaine let go of Kurt's hands, and placed his palms on Kurt's face. "You are my life. There's no me without you". Blaine felt the familiar sting of tears falling as he leaned in to kiss Kurt. He just wanted to taste his lips again. Blaine didn't want to push him. There was so much that he needed to fix between them.

Kurt closed his eyes as their lips touched, and all he could think about is how lost he had been without him. Their kiss became deeper, tongues touching, and Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt. He never thought he would he here like this with him again. He whispered in his ear, "Please tell me you still love me, Kurt".

Looking at Blaine, Kurt wanted to say yes, of course he does. He just couldn't shake the look on Blaine's face as he walked out the door of Breadsticks that night. How easy it seemed for him to leave.

"Kurt, tell me what you're thinking because I'm getting a little scared here". Blaine ran his fingers down the side of Kurt's face. God, he loved touching him. Why won't he say he still loves me?

Kurt stood up, leaving Blaine kneeling on the ground. "Do you want me to beg, Kurt? He turned towards him. "Please give me another chance, Kurt. I only did this to protect you. I love you…and I want you". The tears came harder to Blaine now, and he looked up at Kurt and put his arms out to indicate surrender.

Kurt put his hand on Blaine's face and knelt down in front of him. He touched Blaine's hair, the normally controlled curls falling loose around his face.

"Only you, Kurt."

"There's no one else"?

Blaine leaned his head on Kurt's chest as he said "How could there be? I am so in love with you that no one else exists in my world. Please, Kurt…tell me you still love me. I need you to say it".

"What you all did to me was wrong, Blaine. Can you imagine anything worse than the person you love with all of your heart saying to you what you said to me"?

Blaine was shaking as he said, "I'm so sorry, beautiful".

"Come here" Kurt held his hand out to help Blaine up so that they were facing each other. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. He led Blaine through the door to their bedroom, closing it behind them. Blaine looked longingly at him as Kurt pressed him against the door, and felt his legs weaken as Kurt kissed him, the length of his body pressed against him. Kurt looked down between them, then back up at Blaine. "See what you do to me"?

Blaine nodded, and leaned in to kiss him. Then, in that breathy, sexy way that Kurt has of saying just the right thing, he brushed his fingertips across Blaine's lips. "I love you".

"Kurt, I want you so much. I want you in our bed. I want you and I to…"

"Never again, Blaine. I don't want to go through something like this ever again with you. Promise me".

"I promise, Kurt." Blaine kissed Kurt hard, his hands in his hair, then running down to Kurt's shoulders. "Never".

Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes, his gaze never moving as he began to unbutton his boyfriend's shirt, and then slide it off. He put his hands against the warm skin of Blaine's chest, where he could feel his heart pounding. "Is that because of me?"

"Kurt, you know it is. You know".

Kurt smiled, but was confused by the look on Blaine's face. He could see moisture rimming his eyes, and his mouth moved as if he wanted to say something. "Blaine, what's wrong"?

"I'm so afraid, Kurt. I keep messing things up with us, and I know that I've run out of chances…"

Kurt 's heart felt heavy as he looked at his handsome Blaine, so vulnerable. It seems like it's always been the other way around—Blaine riding in on the white horse to save Kurt. And now, Kurt was the protector. He took his thumb and wiped away a tear that had fallen, and wrapped his arms around him. It was too much for Blaine.

"Take your clothes off, Kurt. Really…like right now".

He looked at Blaine with false shock on his face. "Mr. Anderson, are you trying to seduce me"? It was a line from one of their favorite movies, and Kurt had always loved using it.

"Yes, I am. Please, Kurt…off with the clothes. I don't think I can wait much longer…if you get what I'm saying".

Kurt walked to the one window in the room and drew the blinds. He undressed in front of Blaine, who watched without saying a word. Modesty gave way to familiarity. As Blaine unfastened his own belt, and slid the rest of his clothing off, he looked up as if to thank the heavens for giving him Kurt back.

"I see that you have something for me", Kurt said, barely able to hide the desire in his voice. "What are you waiting for"?

"Kurt…" was all that Blaine was able to say as he walked over to him, and pushed him down on the bed. He kissed Kurt, and then smiled as he said "I'm going to do things to you that don't even have a name yet". Kurt laughed at this, but became serious as Blaine kissed him harder, turning him over onto his stomach. Kurt started to crawl up towards the middle of the bed, but Blaine grabbed him by the waist before he could get very far. Blaine wanted to take his time, but there was an urgency about making love to Kurt that he couldn't fight any more. He had to have him.

Things moved so quickly for them. Before they knew it, Blaine was inside of Kurt, whispering his name over and over, as Kurt's fingers gripped the pillows in front of him, moaning as he and Blaine moved together. This was different from their first time together. They were tentative then. Nervous. Not this time. They both knew what they wanted…how badly they wanted it. Their whispered proclamations of love and devotion to each other only stopped as they finally cried out together… Blaine lying on top of Kurt, his hands holding Kurt down against the bed.

"Blaine…"

"Take a deep breath and don't move, Kurt. We're just getting started".


	6. One On One

They pulled up to the Dalton Academy, and piled out to talk to Blaine. Since Kurt started dating Blaine-well, even before then, New Directions and The Warblers had become semi-friends. Competitive, but cordial. So Finn felt comfortable being here.

They went to the front door, and stopped at the front desk. "Hi, we're looking for Blaine Anderson".

"I don't believe he's here today. Let me check". As she rang up to Blaine's room, Wes came down the hall and saw them. "Hey, what are you guys up to? Thinking of joining?" he said with a smile.

"Nah…we're looking for Blaine. It's a long story".

"I know. Well, at least I know part of the story. So are they back together yet, because my boy is miserable without him. Do you know what it's like to hear a grown person cry every night"?

"Yeah, I kind of do." Finn looked down at his feet. " We messed this up big time, and now Kurt is on some one man crusade to deal with Karofsky. Kurt's looking for him, we're looking for Kurt…it would be funny if it wasn't so ridiculous".

"He's not here today. Said he was staying home to regroup. Whatever that means in Blaine-speak".

"Thanks, man. Listen, if he shows up, could you have him give me a call. It's sort of important".

* * *

><p>Kurt didn't call his father as the day moved into night, and he realized that he would be staying here with Blaine. He felt bad about this—he was sure that they were worrying about him, especially the way he left without telling anyone. He would apologize to everyone later.<p>

He was lying on his side in their bed, with Blaine wrapped around him. There is nowhere in the world he would rather be than right here. When the day started, this wasn't even something that he dreamed would happen. And yet here he was, back with Blaine. Their lovemaking has been heated, to say the least, and Kurt was looking forward to the promised further adventures the rest of the night would bring for both of them.

"Hey, beautiful". Blaine kissed Kurt just behind his ear, whispering, "You are amazing. Ready for more"?

Kurt's body trembled at the feeling of Blaine's breath near the back of his neck. "Of course I am. The better question is, are you? You know…" He was cut off by Blaine turning him to face him, and by Blaine's lips pressed against his. Kurt wasn't ready for the kiss to stop, and he opened is eyes as Blaine pulled away from him. He looked at Kurt, then gave a smile as he slid under the blanket, his curls brushing against Kurt's thighs as he slid his mouth over him. Kurt barely lasted a few moments of Blaine doing this. Once he had achieved the desired result, Blaine slid back up onto their shared pillow, running his tongue across his lips. "Have I ever told you how good you taste"? Kurt blushed as he tried to be serious, and his voice sounded almost child-like as he asked Blaine-

"Want to play a game?" Blaine looked at him suspiciously.

"You mean, like Scrabble? Forgive me Kurt…I'm a little busy making love to my boyfriend".

"Where's that sleep mask you bought that night"?

"I don't have it anymore. I'm sorry. I didn't think we'd need it."

"Hmm…let me think". Kurt got up from the bed and walked over to the small dresser in the room. "Yep, this will do." Kurt had a Dalton tie in his hand, twirling it around his fingers.

"Kurt Hummel, that is a regulation Dalton Academy tie. I'm sure improper use is strictly forbidden".

"Right…" Kurt walked slowly back to the bed. Blaine wasn't sure where this was going, but he was intrigued.

"Now, my darling Warbler", Kurt kissed Blaine lightly on the lips "this won't hurt a bit". Kurt wrapped the tie around Blaine's eyes, much to his delight.

"This doesn't involve a piñata, right? We've already discussed that previously I believe". Blaine couldn't see Kurt, but he could feel him...and hear that voice.

"Do you trust me, Blaine?"

"Of course I do".

Kurt took each of Blaine's hands in his, holding them down as he straddled him. Blaine began to squirm underneath him. He leaned over and said, with his lips almost touching Blaine's, "Do you like my kisses"?

"You know I love them, Kurt." He felt Kurt's mouth press against his, his tongue teasing. He tried to reach up to touch Kurt, but his hands were being held down. He's stronger than he looks, he thought to himself.

"And…do you like when I do this"? Kurt moved from Blaine's lips to his neck, kissing softly, working his way to his shoulders, across his chest.

"You're not playing fair, Kurt." Even though he couldn't see Kurt, he could sense him smiling down at him.

"My game, my rules. So sorry. Now, where was I? Oh, that's right…I was right…about…here…" Kurt slid Blaine into his mouth, allowing Blaine's hands the freedom they would need to work his fingers into Kurt's hair.

"Kurt….what are you doing to me"? Blaine held on to Kurt's shoulders as he continued working his magic on Blaine.

"Do you want me to stop"? Blaine shook his head. "I most definitely do not want you to stop. Ever".

"Really? Not even for me to do this?" Kurt turned Blaine over, onto his knees, and before Blaine could say a word, Kurt slid himself into him. Blaine made a sound that Kurt had not heard before…a wicked combination of surprise and pleasure. Perhaps it was the thought of Kurt being so dominant, the blindfold, and the joy of being with him again. It was the most incredible feeling Blaine has ever had, and when they are finished, it is Blaine that speaks first, pulling the tie from around his eyes.

"I'm not sure I will survive this night. But what a way to go. Come here". Kurt crawled up into Blaine's arms.

"Was that…ok"? Blaine loved the way Kurt's skin would flush when he asked questions like this. One moment a tiger…the next, a kitten.

"That was more than ok. I think I may have underestimated you. I also think I may need to start a vitamin regimen. Wow".

"I like making you feel good, Blaine. I love you".

"And I love you. Have I told you that I think your boyfriend is the luckiest person alive?"

And with that, they fell asleep in each other's arms, in their own bed. They would stay like that until the morning, both hoping that it hadn't been a dream.

"I think they're together" Sam continued saying. "Let's look at the facts".

"Ok, Sheriff Evans". Puck gave Sam a lame salute.

"Really. Kurt is gone. No phone. Blaine is gone. No phone. Well, it's not on. I think they worked this out themselves".

Finn looked at Sam. "Well, if that's the case, then great. But it still doesn't solve the problem of Karofsky creeping around out there after my brother. Kurt told him to "come and get him". I think he has every intention of doing that. We need to find the two lovebirds before he does. If he finds out it was all a scam, he's going to be pissed".

* * *

><p>David Karofsky sat in his car, thinking about Kurt Hummel. He loved him. And now that Kurt was alone, he would love him back. He was sure of it. That Dalton kid was never good enough for Kurt. He needed someone strong that could protect him from people… like himself. He didn't want to be cruel to Kurt. It was just so frustrating to see him so open about who he is, and not be able to do the same. But with the other one out of the picture, everything would work out for them.<p>

He would go to their old "love nest" and tell Blaine that Kurt was his now, and he should stay away from him. David drove to the Anderson house, where things had gone so badly days earlier. He had no intention of hurting Kurt when he went there. He just wanted to be alone with him. If only they hadn't been interrupted by those three losers the last time…

Parking his car out of sight, he walked quietly towards the guesthouse, hoping that Blaine didn't give him a hard time. Why should he? He's the one that broke up with Kurt. And from what he heard, it wasn't pretty.

He got to within a few feet of the door when he heard it open. He ducked behind Blaine's car, and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"I'll be right back, beautiful" Blaine said to Kurt as they parted at the entrance, kissing each other before Kurt closed the door and Blaine headed up to the main house.

It can't be, David thought. Everyone was talking about it. They had split up. What was going on? David shook his head in disbelief. How could they be together again?

Finn drove back towards home, wondering what he was going to tell Burt. There was no new information other than now Blaine had not been heard from all day.

"Maybe he's back home now". Finn pulled out his phone and dialed Blaine's cell number. Right to voice mail. Still. Maybe Sam was right.

"Let's just head over there. We can leave a note or something."

"Puck, you just sounded like a twelve year old girl".

"This twelve year old girl is going to kick your ass in about three seconds, Hudson".

"Ladies, let's not fight". Sam thought it would be funnier than it sounded when it came out. He held up his hands in a self- defensive manner. "Don't hurt me".

"I'm calling Burt. Maybe Kurt came home last night. He hates breaking curfew. And he has this whole…routine he does at night." Finn shook his head and laughed. "It's quite the production".

Burt answered the phone on the first ring. "Kurt?"

"No, Burt, it's me. I'm guessing no word from him, huh?"

"Nothing. I don't like this, Finn. He's been gone all night. You know…he wouldn't do that on his own".

"Well, we drove out to Dalton, and Blaine wasn't there either. We think they may be together."

"I hope they are. I'm worried about your brother, Finn. I don't want him doing anything stupid with this Karofsky kid. And what about you three? How are you going to deal with school on no sleep? How are you all holding up"?

"Yeah, about that…I'm thinking we're just going to take a ride over to Blaine's house, see if he's there, let him know about Kurt, then head back home. I don't think that school is an option today".

"No problem, kid. And tell the other boys thank you, too…for worrying about Kurt." Finn could hear Burt getting choked up, and tried to ease his mind a bit.

"You know, Kurt is stronger than we think. He'll be ok. And if he and Blaine are together, that's one huge problem solved. Don't worry, Burt. We'll find him".

"Find _them_, ok? I've sort of grown fond of my son's boyfriend and I like having him around".

"Will do. I'll call if anything comes up." Finn disconnected the call, and thought hard about how much it meant that he had a father in his life. He never wanted to let him down. Especially now.

"I'm hungry, Finn. Let's just stop at the drive-thru or something. I beg of you".

Puck handed Sam a piece of gum. "Chew on this, Blondie."

"I was thinking about something in the egg and cheese family".

"Once we get back to my place, I'll have my Mom make something for us. If she's still home. But right now, let's just deal with this. Now eat your gum".

* * *

><p>Kurt felt as if his heart was going to burst with joy. Twenty-four hours ago, he was heartbroken, missing Blaine, feeling as if they would never be together again. Sometimes prayers do get answered, he thought to himself and smiled.<p>

Blaine had gone to the main house to get some fresh sheets, and some food from the kitchen. When his mother saw him, she greeted him with a big smile.

"I see things have worked out between you two"?

"They have. He's all I ever want, Mom. I love him. Is it weird to know, at this age, that _this_ is the person that I want to spend my life with? I mean, it just feels right, you know"?

"Well, honey, what I do know is that there is a soul mate out there for everyone. I truly believe that. Sometimes we find them. Sometimes we don't. If Kurt is the one, Blaine, then I'm happy for you. I really am".

Blaine then did something that he hadn't in a while. He hugged his mother.

"Thanks, Mom. I need to get back to him".

As he was getting ready to walk out of the kitchen, she said "I see we have some company this morning".

Blaine looked out the window, and saw Finn, Puck and Sam pull up behind his car. He looked at the clock on the wall.

"This isn't going to be good. I'll see you later, Mom".

He came down the back steps towards the guesthouse, and smiled when he ran into the three now very tired , very cranky friends.

"Hey guys. What's up"?

"What's up? Why haven't you been answering your phone? What if Kurt needed you"?

"About that…" Blaine had guilt written all over his face.

"I KNEW IT!" Sam gave a fist pump in the air. "He's here, isn't he"?

Puck walked over to Blaine and looked at what he had in his hand. "Let's see…sheets…fruit…candles…ok, you listen to me, Hugh Hefner…you start talking right now. Is my boy Kurt in there or not"?

Blaine looked at the three faces staring back at him, and started to laugh.

"Dude, this is so not funny." Finn was rubbing his eyes wearily.

"I'm sorry. It's just…you all look so serious. Yes, Kurt is in there. Yes, we are back together, and no, I am not going to give you any more details than that".

"I just want to make sure he's ok. You don't mind me doing that, do you?"

"No. Come on. I hope he's dressed." Blaine winked at Finn as he said it.

"Oh for the love of…I hate you, do you know that"?

"Impossible. And just think, I may be your brother-in-law one day soon".

Sam looked at Puck. "How is that even possible?"

"Dumb Blonde Walking", shouted Puck as Sam tried to process this new information.

Blaine reached for the door, and it was locked. "Kurt, let me in. We have company. Make sure you have something respectable on". When he didn't answer, Blaine knocked again, harder.

"Maybe he's in the shower". Finn just wanted to see for himself that Kurt was ok, so that he could call Burt and his mom.

"Excellent", said Blaine out loud, knowing it would get a reaction from Finn.

"Still hating you", was all that Finn could counter with. He needed sleep, badly.

Finn walked up to the window alongside the door, and as he looked inside, his jaw dropped. "Blaine…"

"What? What's wrong?" He walked over to stand next to Finn, and looked inside to see Kurt and Karofsky standing there, face to face. He dropped the items he was holding, and went to reach for his phone. It was inside. "Puck, call the police". Blaine was getting ready to run up to the main house to grab his spare key, when Finn grabbed him by the arm.

"Blaine, wait. Look at Kurt. Does he look scared to you?"

Blaine could feel his insides knotting up, as he looked at his boyfriend now alone with his tormentor. "We need to get in there, Finn. What if he hurts him?" Blaine felt as if he couldn't breath. Sam walked up to him, and put his arm around him. "It'll be ok. Kurt knows what he's doing".

"Really, Sam? The guy outweighs him by about a hundred pounds. He's pushed him around for I don't know how long. You really think Kurt knows what he's dealing with?"

"I do". Finn said calmly. "Let's just watch. If he needs us, he'll let us know".

They watched as Kurt gestured for Karofsky to sit down on the couch, which he did. Kurt remained standing—he wanted his guest to be at a disadvantage. Before he started speaking, Kurt looked to his left and saw Blaine outside of the window, along with the others pacing behind him. The cavalry was here, he thought to himself, and felt immediately stronger. Blaine mouthed the words "I love you" to him. Kurt smiled, and gave a subtle nod back.

He turned to Karofsky and began to speak.

"First things first. This is my home. My home with Blaine. You will not raise your voice to me. You will not raise your hand to me. And I expect the truth from you. You owe me that, David. Understood"?

"Understood".

"Here is what you need to know, before we go any further. I am in love with Blaine Anderson. He is in love with me. We are a couple, and that is not going to change".

"I thought you two had split up. That's what I was told. I just thought…"

"You thought what, David? That you and I would be together? Honestly?"

"I thought if you were free of him, you would see me differently. You and I are alike. You know that".

"If you mean you and I are both gay, that is correct. But any similarities between us end there. Do you know what you've done to me, and to my family? Not to mention _your_ family? I'm sure your father is worried sick about you. Not everyone is the enemy, David. But you get what you give in life, and what you've given isn't something I'd want coming back to me if I were you."

"When we kissed that day…"

"Correction. When _you_ kissed _me_ that day. Let's not confuse things. It was not consensual. It meant nothing to me other than to make me feel violated. Is that what you wanted? Do you know that was my first male kiss? You took something that should have been special to me and made it…it's just something I can never get back."

"Hummel…what is wrong with me? I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear".

"The name is Kurt. And no, I don't think you meant to hurt me. But I do think you need to start being honest with yourself and with who you are. Tell me…and I want the truth…why are you attracted to me, even when you know that I don't feel the same way"?

"I've always been attracted to you. Do you know how hard that's been? I make fun of you to everyone, but inside, I can't stop thinking about being with you. I'm on the football team, for crying out loud. How can a football player be gay"?

"You seem to forget, David. I was on the football team". Kurt gave a weak smile at the now not-so-tough bully that he's had to deal with for years. "Does your father know"?

"No. I think it would kill him. I can't tell him".

"Well, that's up to you. I will never "out" you. But it's a lot easier when you have the support of your parents. They are shocked at first, of course. But they love us unconditionally, David. I think you should give them a chance to be there for you".

Blaine was becoming more anxious as the time ticked by. Why is this taking so long? And what could they possibly be talking about?

"Can I have one of those apples, Preppie? Sam may eat his own shoe if he doesn't get something soon." Puck put his hand out as a target for Blaine to toss it to him. He did, and it landed with a thud on the ground about a foot in front of Puck.

"Would it be too offensive if I said that you throw like a girl"?

Sam took a bite of the apple, and looked at the others. "You know, Finn helped pick out your curtains. Just saying."

Blaine laughed, and was turning to thank Finn for his contribution to their home when they were all startled by the sound of glass breaking as Finn put his fist through the window.

"Kurt…it's ok, buddy…don't move."


	7. Questions

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. The sound of glass breaking…the door crashing in…

All that Finn saw was Kurt on the ground, and he needed to get to him. As he broke the window with his fist, Puck slammed into the door at a full run, forcing it open with his shoulder.

"What did you do to him?" Finn was screaming at Karofsky, who was standing over Kurt. His brother was pale, and not moving.

"I didn't touch him, I swear".

Puck grabbed Karofsky by the front of his shirt and repeated, "What did you _do_ to him?"

Blaine was kneeling on the floor next to Kurt, picking his head up into his lap. "Baby, come on, wake up." Blaine looked up at Finn. "What's wrong with him?"

Finn picked Kurt up and carried him into their bedroom, placing him on the bed. Blaine sat down next to him, holding his hand tightly.

"I didn't do anything to him. We were just…talking…and he just kind of…fell over". Karofsky started to walk towards the bed, when Blaine put his hand up to stop him.

"Get away from him. Now!" Blaine yelled at Karofsky.

"I saw you going at him. I saw you". Finn was shaking with anger now. He knew Karofsky couldn't be trusted alone with Kurt.

"Yeah, I was walking over to see if he was ok. We were talking, and he just looked at me and passed out. We weren't fighting or anything."

Sam had gone into the bathroom to get a wet towel for Kurt's head. He didn't know what else to do. He placed it gently across Kurt's forehead, and was happy to see him start to stir.

Kurt opened his eyes, and tried to focus on Blaine. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"That's what we're wondering. You passed out. We think." He looked suspiciously at Karofsky. Kurt tried to sit up, but became lightheaded.

When was the last time you ate something, Kurt?" Sam may be on to something.

"I don't remember. Blaine was going up to the house to get some food for us. I haven't really felt like eating much lately".

Blaine's mother appeared at the door, not quite believing what she was seeing.

"What on earth happened here"?

"Mom, it's ok". Blaine yelled out from the bedroom. "Kurt had a spell of some kind."

"Ok, you all listen to me. Before any more damage is done to our property, you, you and you"—pointing to Finn, Puck and Sam—go up to the house and wait in the kitchen."

"You…what's your name?"

"David Karofsky. Listen, I just…"

"I don't want to hear it. You sit right there", pointing to the couch. Blaine, come out here. Kurt, honey…are you able to come out here too?"

Blaine helped Kurt up from the bed, and they walked, hand in hand, to their living room, where Karofsky was sitting on the couch.

"Both of you, sit". They looked at each other, and then took a seat.

"Ok, now, I'm just going to say this once, and then I'm going to go up and deal with the three stooges in my house. David, you seem to have caused a lot of problems for my son and his boyfriend…"

Blaine looked at his mother like he was seeing her for the first time. She has never even acknowledged publicly that he is gay, much less refer to Kurt as his boyfriend. He smiled at her as she continued.

"You need to understand that these young men are a couple, and it isn't right for you to keep causing issues for them. I don't know what your story is…honestly, it's not my concern…but I do care about these two so I am going to say this to you-If you come onto our property again to bother Blaine and Kurt, I will notify the police that you are trespassing and harassing my family. And Kurt, through Blaine, is now my family. Do you get what I'm saying, David?"

"Yes, I do." Karofsky lowered his head as he said it, almost embarrassed to make eye contact with her.

"I think you should go now, David. If I were you, I would head home, grab a shower, take a nap, and think about how to start things off with a fresh outlook. You're being given a chance here to do the right thing. I would take it."

He stood up, and as he was walking out the door, he turned around and said to Kurt, "I think I'm going to go talk to my Dad". Kurt smiled and nodded at him.

Once he was gone, she turned her attention to Blaine and Kurt.

"You know, Blaine, it's taken me a long time to get to what I'm going to say right now. And I'm sorry about that. I can't speak for your father, who I will deal with when he gets home on Thursday, but I will speak for myself. You are an amazing son, and I love you. And I'm sorry that I've been difficult with you and not tried harder to be more understanding. Being gay was not a choice for you, and I'm sorry if I made you feel bad about yourself for that. It's who you are, and I wanted you to know that I am still just as proud of you as I've always been. Now, as for you, Kurt Hummel…I don't know much about you, other than the fact that my son absolutely adores you. And that's good enough for me. I want him to be happy, and he's happy with you. Just be good to each other. That's all any parent can wish for their child." She smiled at them both, and then said, " Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and deal with the rest of this motley crew".

* * *

><p>Finn, Puck and Sam were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting.<p>

"I'm SO hungry". Sam had his eye on the basket of fruit at the center of the table.

"They're fake."

"Are you sure?"

Puck picked up the plastic banana and tapped Sam on the forehead with it. "Yeah, pretty sure".

"I really thought that Karofsky did something to Kurt. I just…I wanted to kill him for hurting him." Finn was surprised by his feelings of protectiveness towards Kurt.

"What did I just tell you…they're fake" said Puck as he saw Sam rolling one of the wax grapes between his fingers. Sam put it back in the bowl as Blaine's mother walked into her kitchen.

"Alright, first things first. Are you boys hungry?"

"I think I love you" Sam blurted out as she opened the refrigerator.

"How about some pancakes and bacon? I mean, it must be difficult work being you three". She smiled at the exhausted young men who had done so much for Kurt and her son.

"Mrs. Anderson, I'm so sorry about the window and the door. I mean, I really thought that something had happened to Kurt. I'm really sorry".

"Finn, right? Well, Finn, something _did_ happen to Kurt. He's exhausted, both mentally and physically. In the last few days his whole world has been turned upside down, and while things may be back to what some would call normal right now, he needs some space to get his bearings back.

"He needs us." Puck looked almost dejected as he said it. "We're his family too".

"Oh, honey, I know that. But you have to have enough faith in Kurt to know that he can take care of himself sometimes. And he has Blaine".

"I believe there was some talk of pancakes?" Sam looked at everyone staring back at him. "Yeah, I said it".

Blaine and Kurt walked into the kitchen and sat at the table with the rest of the self-appointed rescue party.

"Kurt, what happened in there with Karofsky? I mean, if you don't want to say, it's ok, but we all really want to know." Finn looked at his brother, and realized that Blaine's mom was right—he looked exhausted.

"He's just confused. And he has to make some difficult decisions. I really don't think I can say any more than that until he does". Blaine put his arm around Kurt's shoulders, and kissed him on his cheek.

"Dude…in front of your mother?"

"It's ok, Finn. I know they're a couple. They have my blessing".

"Ok, now I _know_ that I love you" Sam said.

Blaine looked between Sam and the others. Perhaps he didn't want to know.

"Kurt, have you called your father? If not, I want you to go do that before we eat. We won't start until you get back".

"But…but…" Sam gave Kurt a look that begged him to hurry up. Kurt smiled back at him. He truly loved everyone sitting at this table. And as he looked at Blaine, laughing and talking to his brother and his friends, he knew that this was the person he wanted to be with forever.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Blaine and Kurt were heading over to the Hummel-Hudson house to relax. Someone would be coming to the guesthouse to repair the window and the door, so until then, they would hang out here. Burt was at the shop, and Carol had gone in to work, both feeling better knowing that Kurt and Blaine were safe, and back together.<p>

"I'm going in the shower. I feel disgusting, and I need my products". Kurt looked at Blaine, who was sitting on his bed, watching television.

"Don't be too long. I think I found something we can both watch without cringing", Blaine said, without looking up.

"You know…you could probably use a shower too".

"Well, you hurry up, and then I'll go after you".

"Blaine…I am standing here suggesting that we both need a shower. Do I need to draw a road map for you?"

"Kurt, I don't know. It's not like our place. What if someone comes home?"

"Are you ashamed of the fact that we have sex? Do you think they don't know?" Kurt's voice trailed off as he walked into the bathroom.

"Well, since Finn knows, they all know. I just don't want to be disrespectful to your parents. They trust us to behave ourselves. Kurt, are you listening to me"?

"Sorry, I can't hear you. I'm too busy getting naked to get into the shower that my boyfriend won't share with me".

"Maybe your boyfriend is trying to be a good guest". Blaine sighed to himself. Who was he kidding?

"Maybe if my boyfriend locked the door at the top of the steps no one could get in without us knowing", Kurt said from the shower.

Blaine got up from the bed, walked up the steps, and locked the door. Under his breath he said, "I don't know about this". As he walked into the bathroom, steam filled the whole room. He looked at the mirror, and drew a heart in the condensation on the glass. "Kurt?"

"Yes"?

"If I come in there, I can't be accountable for my actions".

"Duly noted. Now get in here". Kurt pulled the shower curtain back so that Blaine could just see his face. His hair was all wet, and sticking out in all directions. He looked adorable. And very, very sexy.

Blaine took his clothes off, and climbed into the shower with Kurt. It was very close quarters. "Only with you, Kurt, could I be standing in a shower and feel dirty", Blaine laughed as he kissed him, the water from the showerhead flowing over them.

"I love your curls. You should wear them loose more often. Set them free on weekends." Kurt ran his fingers through Blaine's hair, and then put his hand on his chest. "Make love to me."

"Kurt…I don't know…" Blaine was still worried about how this would look if Burt or Carol came home early.

"You don't want to?" Kurt began to feel self conscious, and reached to turn the water off.

"Baby, no…give me your hand". Blaine reached out for Kurt's hand, and placed it on the very evident proof that Blaine wanted to make love to Kurt. "You drive me crazy, Kurt, I swear…" Blaine kissed him hard, and moved Kurt to the other end of the shower, against the wall, being careful not to slip.

"How about this" Blaine kissed Kurt softly…"a little appetizer here before dinner", another kiss…"then, afterwards, we go back to our place for some dessert"? Blaine was keeping his fingers crossed that the repairs would be done by the time they got back there.

Kurt made a pouting face, then said "Well, I suppose that sounds fair." He looked at Blaine, standing there, water running over him, and still couldn't believe that they were back together. "Or…", Kurt reached down and wrapped his fingers around Blaine and moved them slowly, "we could have an early dinner, and a longer dessert".

Blaine was really having a hard time concentrating on Kurt's words when his hand was where it was, but he was able to mutter out agreement. Right. Early dinner. Long dessert.

* * *

><p>"Where do you want to go?"<p>

"Not Breadsticks. I don't think I could show my face there again."

"But you love it there. You know, you didn't' do anything wrong, Kurt. You have no reason to feel like we can't go back there".

"I wish we could just lay in bed and watch some old movies. I just want to be alone with you".

"Well, we can do that too, but we need to eat. I want you to have enough strength for…dessert".

"Now I really want to go home and go to bed". Kurt took Blaine's hand in his as they drove towards town. "You know, we need to go back to school at some point. I mean…"

"I want to marry you, Kurt." It came flying out of Blaine's mouth. Just like that.

"I think maybe we should get out of high school first. We don't want people thinking that we "had" to get married", Kurt laughed out loud, and Blaine shot him a look and shook his head.

"I know I've said this before, Kurt. But I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm more sure of that than anything else in my life."

"Is this a proposal, Mr. Anderson"?

"Not just yet."

They pulled into the parking lot of Breadsticks, and Blaine was overcome with the thoughts of what had happened the last time they were there. Walking out on him, the look on his face, the whole mess. When they parked, Kurt got out of the car and walked over to grab Blaine's hand.

"You know, maybe you were right. Maybe we shouldn't go in here. I don't want this to be a night where you think of bad things. Let's go somewhere else, ok?"

"Nope. It's like falling off of a horse. Or something like that. We're here. Come on…". Kurt pushed open the door, and they started towards their usual table. Blaine stopped. "Let's find a new usual table. One without a bad history".

"Agreed".

The waitress came over and seemed genuinely happy to see them together. "What can I get for you two gentlemen?"

They ordered their drinks, and Kurt began to blush as he looked around at the others in the restaurant, wondering if any of them had been here the night Blaine broke up with him so publicly. In the end, it didn't matter. They were together now.

"Now, as I was saying in the car…" Blaine took Kurt's hands in his, and looked into those beautiful blue eyes.

"Here's what I propose, Mr. Hummel. That I will love you forever…more and more every day if that's even possible. That I will do everything in my power to make you happy, to protect you and your heart, and I will always work to make sure that I never disappoint you. I love you, Kurt. For always."

Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out a box that he has been carrying around almost since the day of their first kiss.

"If I got on one knee to give this to you, would you be completely horrified?"

"Completely". Kurt felt as if he was going to become a local tourist attraction with all of the things that happened to him in public.

Blaine _did_ get down on one knee, and took Kurt's hand in his. "I want you to wear this as a sign of my devotion to you, and to us…and to our future together. You are everything to me." Blaine then slid a gold signet ring out of the box. Kurt looked down at it, and saw that it had two beautiful letters in script on it—their initials, "B" and "K", intertwined. Inside the band were the words "forever yours, faithfully".

"I love that song," Kurt said, fighting back tears.

"I know you do. And I love _you_. Whether it takes 3 years, or 5 years, I will be married to you." Blaine then got up and kissed his boyfriend passionately, to many catcalls of "get a room". Blaine laughed out loud. "What a great idea. Come on, my betrothed, let's go".

"Aren't you hungry?" Kurt asked as Blaine grabbed his arm.

"Kurt…you have no idea."


	8. A Matter Of Trust

Kurt wished that every day were Friday, because that meant that his weekend with Blaine would be starting. And now their relationship had taken a new twist. Were they…engaged? No, Kurt thought more along the lines of "committed". They were in a committed relationship.

Kurt jumped from his bed to his dressing table. And there it was. The beautiful ring that Blaine had given to him. He smiled as he slid it onto his right ring finger. It was perfect. It meant that there was no one else for either of them. He hadn't told his parents, or Finn, about the ring yet. For some reason, he just wanted to keep it to himself for a while, a secret he and Blaine had between themselves. But he would show them today. Of course, they'll be thrilled for him. They know that Blaine makes him happier than he's ever been. He looked down one more time at the intertwined initials—**B** and **K**—and then slid the ring off before he got ready for the day.

After his shower, Kurt made sure that his nails were perfectly manicured before getting dressed. It was Wednesday. Two more full days before Friday and Blaine. Finally deciding on an outfit, he dressed, and then put his ring back on. What did Blaine call it—betrothed? He liked the sound of that. Looking in the mirror, he smiled widely at his reflection. Kurt Hummel, you are betrothed to Blaine Anderson. He turned off the lights in his room, and headed upstairs for breakfast.

Kurt sat at the table waiting for everyone else. He didn't feel like eating much, really. He has two tests today, and that always worked his stomach into a knot. He was thankful that almost all of the drama was out of his life now. Karofsky—or David, as he now calls him—had stopped his one-man reign of terror against him, and it felt good to walk through the halls without fear.

"Dude, nice look". Finn walked into the kitchen and reached over to tousle Kurt's hair, but he pushed him away.

"I'm trying something new. You should perhaps invest in a mirror yourself. Or at the very least a comb. Just saying." Kurt enjoyed mornings like this.

"I'll have you know that I have never had a complaint from a girl about how I look."

"That's because if she was raised properly, she knows that if you can't say something nice, don't say it at all". Finn made a sad face, and then sat down across from Kurt.

"Where are the elders?"

"I heard that, Kurt." Burt joined the boys at the table.

"Sorry, Dad. So listen, I have something to tell you all."

"You're pregnant?" Finn was the only one that laughed at his lame attempt at humor.

"No, Finn…Blaine and I have not been in any hot tubs…oh, wait…isn't that how Quinn said you got _her_ pregnant?" Kurt then remembered this was not public information, and mouthed, "I forgot" to Finn.

"Excuse me?" Burt was now interested in the conversation. "Finn?"

"It's just a joke, Dad. Everyone knows you can't get pregnant from a hot tub. Right, Finn?" Kurt was trying hard not to laugh.

"Right."

"Ouch. What the hell? Why did you kick me?" Burt looked at Finn, who then looked at Kurt, who was rolling his eyes. Kurt decided that Finn had been made to squirm enough. "Carol, where are you?"

"I'm here. Now come on…between the three of you, you couldn't come up with something to eat on your own?"

As she walked to the refrigerator, Kurt clanged his dad's coffee spoon on his cup.

"So, family…I have some news on the relationship front." Kurt had his hand on the table, and was moving his fingers to try to be subtle and show off his ring.

"Well, what's the news?" Burt took a sip of his coffee, and told Kurt to stop fidgeting at the table.

Kurt then put his hand up to his mouth, so that the ring would be facing all of them. Still nothing. Kurt wondered how it was that he had the three most oblivious people walking the earth sitting around this table with him. He couldn't take it any longer—

"Look! Isn't it beautiful? Blaine gave it to me."

"Honey, you're going to have to stop flinging your hand around so that we can actually take a look at it." Carol grabbed his hand, and looked at his gift from Blaine. "It's beautiful, Kurt."

"So are you guys engaged now?" Finn was laughing, as was Burt, but then they realized that Kurt wasn't.

"Your brother asked you a question, Kurt." Burt had stopped to look at his son, waiting for a response.

"I think engaged is such a dated word, don't you?"

"Then what word _would_ you use, Kurt?"

"I prefer "betrothed". It has a nice romantic ring to it". Kurt was looking at the blank expression on Finn's face.

"Isn't that what a horse eats from?

"That's a trough, honey." Carol patted Finn's hand, then looked back at Burt, who was still waiting for an answer from Kurt.

"Whatever it is that you're calling it, what is the meaning of this ring from Blaine, Kurt?"

"Well, it means that we made a promise to each other that we will always be faithful …that we love each other…and that, someday, we will be married to each other." There was silence around the table.

"I thought you would be happy for me. I'm in a committed relationship with the man that I love."

"Kurt, you've been together as a couple for a few months. Isn't this an awfully big step to be taking at your age?" Burt looked to Carol for moral support, but she was looking at Kurt with a face that he was unable to read. "And really…married? We live in Lima, Ohio, Kurt, not New York City."

"And besides, sweetie…like your Dad said…you haven't known each other that long. There is so much more you both need to learn about each other, to make sure…"

"I know everything I need to know about Blaine. He loves me, and we share everything. I thought you all would be happy for me, but I guess I was wrong."

"I'm happy. I like Blaine." Finn felt like Kurt needed some help here.

"We like Blaine, too. But things seem to be moving a little fast, don't you think?" Burt hated getting on Kurt about this, but it needed to be said.

Kurt was suddenly feeling defiant. "Our relationship is a lot further along than you think. We don't just walk around holding hands like two twelve year olds, you know."

Finn looked at Kurt and shook his head, silently willing him to stop before he said anything else.

"Do you think I don't know that, Kurt? You two are practically living together half of the week. You think I don't know what goes on between two people in that situation? Give me a little more credit than that".

"And give Blaine and I credit, Dad. We're not stupid. And we know what we want."

Carol tried to diffuse some of the tension. "All we're saying, Kurt, is that you both have your whole lives ahead of you. Don't rush things".

"I need to go. Thank you all for your support." Kurt pushed away from the table, and left for school. He looked at his watch. Two more days.

He grabbed his phone as a new message came in from Blaine:

_Have I told you lately that I love you? _

Kurt texted back: _You have, but it's always nice to hear. I love you too. I can't wait to see you. _

S_o I may be a little late getting to our place on Friday. I have something I need to do after school. Won't take long._

_Warbler business?_

Almost a minute went by before Blaine wrote back: _Something like that_.

Kurt thought the answer was an odd one, but perhaps Blaine had a lot on his mind. They had missed some school with the issues they've had recently, and were both trying to play catch up.

_Off to class. much love, my Kurt xx_

* * *

><p>The day finished off as any other day, and Kurt headed home for what he thought would be round two of the " Kurt &amp; Blaine versus The World" discussion, but there was nothing. He went down to his room, and when Finn came home after practice, he offered to make some popcorn and maybe watch some television with him. Always in the mood for snacking, Finn agreed.<p>

"Finn, can I ask you something? And I want you to be honest with me. You don't think that Blaine and I are crazy planning our future, do you?"

"Nah..I don't think your crazy. It's just that you guys don't really know a whole lot about each other, that's all. But I think you two are great together. I like Blaine a lot. And he makes you happy, so what difference does it make what I think, right? So now stop talking so that we can watch something."

Friday finally arrived, and Kurt packed up his bag for the weekend. He walked through the kitchen and grabbed his phone from the charger. He always laughed when he saw everyone's phone lined up getting new life breathed into them. As he ran out to the car, he yelled over his shoulder "I'm off—have a good weekend" to anyone within earshot. He opened the door and tossed his bag and the phone onto the seat next to him.

As he pulled out of the driveway, his thoughts were all about Blaine. They have a fairly quiet weekend planned- Relax at home tonight, a movie tomorrow night, and buy some things for the house—he stopped referring to it as the "guesthouse, because it sounded so temporary—on Sunday. Then back home to start the week all over again. He wondered how late Blaine was going to be. Before he could pick up his phone to text him, the incoming message tone sounded, but it was not the familiar sound of his phone. He'd grabbed Finn's phone by accident. He would just text whoever it was back and let them know that he had Finn's phone and would give him the message. He would drive back in the morning to switch phones. If he wasn't so anxious to see Blaine, he would do it now, but he wanted to be there waiting when Blaine walked in. He loved that "honey, I'm home" moment between them.

As he picked up the phone and looked at the message, he could feel his eyes getting wider as tried to focus on the words.

_Just saw Blaine and some dude having coffee. Should we tell Kurt?—Sam_

Kurt pulled his car over and re-read the message. Blaine said he was going to be late because of "Warbler business". Was he lying to him? No, he wouldn't do that. Kurt needed to trust his boyfriend more than this. He was sure that Blaine would explain everything when they talked later about their day.

He wrote back:

_No need to. I'm sure everything is fine. Where are you?_

_The outlets. They're in that coffee shop near the end. Should I hang out? —Sam_

_No, it's fine. Thanks for watching out for me. _Kurt realized what he had written, and then changed it to "_watching out for my brother_".

Against his better judgment, Kurt turned his car towards the outlets. The very same outlets where Blaine had sung for him. What was he going to do if he saw them there? And what did he know, other than Blaine was having coffee with someone. He felt like he was driving in slow motion, and when he finally got to the outlets, he pulled into a spot near the end where the coffee shop was located.

As he walked towards the shop, he saw them. They were seated across from each other at a table near the windows. He kept a safe distance so that Blaine would not see him spying on him. Kurt saw Blaine check his watch, and say something to the person with him. As he crept a little bit closer, Kurt could see that the person was about their age, and had almost the same coloring as Blaine. Not as handsome, but not bad looking at all. This caused a little bit of a jealous twinge in Kurt's stomach. But not as much as seeing this unnamed person placing his hand on Blaine's. What Kurt didn't see, as he ran back towards his car, was Blaine pulling his hands away, and getting up from the table to leave.

Kurt fought back tears as he drove back to his house. Not _their_ house. He pulled into the driveway, and walked through the front door, where he ran into Finn—literally.

"Hey, what's up? Why aren't you with Blaine?" Finn looked outside to see if perhaps they had decided to come back here to hang out.

"Blaine's busy. Here." Kurt tossed Finn's phone to him, and when Finn looked at the messages, he found the one from Sam.

"Kurt, don't overreact. You just got finished telling us this week about how much you two love each other. Why are you getting upset over him having coffee with someone? You hang out with your friends all the time without him."

"He knows all of my friends, Finn. They're his friends now too. But this guy, I have no idea. And he lied to me. He said he was going to be late because of something to do with the Warblers. He lied to me."

"How do you know that? That could have been exactly what they were talking about. You have to trust him, Kurt. It's not going to work out if you don't. Let me ask you a question. Do you think about cheating on Blaine?"

"Of course not. Never".

"But yet you're so convinced that he would do it to you." Finn was trying to be sympathetic to Kurt, but he felt that he was not thinking clearly. He grabbed Kurt's hand and held it so that they were looking at his ring. "Don't you think this means something, Kurt?"

"They were holding hands, Finn." This was an exaggeration, Kurt knew. He saw this guy put his hands on Blaine. Nothing more.

"Come on, Kurt. Blaine wouldn't do that. He loves you. After what you guys have been through, why would he risk that?"

Kurt didn't have an answer. He started to head down to his room, when Finn grabbed him by the shoulders and pointed him back towards the door. "Go…you're not going to sulk like a little girl. Blaine is expecting you. Call me if you need me, but I expect that you won't".

* * *

><p>Kurt got back in his car and started towards their place. Finn was right. He shouldn't overreact without all of the facts. His phone buzzed, and he checked the message:<p>

_Hey, beautiful. Where are you? _

_On my way. Was talking to Finn. Do we need anything?_

_If you want to grab some snacks, I'll find something for us to watch. Hurry…our bed is missing you. xx_

Kurt stopped at the 7-11 just down the road from where their little home is. He grabbed some drinks, chips, and the newest Vogue magazine. As he walked up to the register to pay, he saw him. The guy from the coffee shop. Kurt walked up and stood next to him at the counter to pay, trying to size him up without being too obvious. He turned and looked at Kurt, and said something that Kurt thought sounded like "Hey". As the cashier was helping him, he looked down at Kurt's hand on the counter and said, "Wow, I had an old boyfriend that gave me a ring just like that. Do you mind…?"

Kurt held out his hand as the stranger looked down at his finger. "Huh…almost identical. This must be some kind of karma. I just had coffee with him after not seeing him for over a year. Says he's with someone, but a fella can hope..."

Kurt felt like the room was beginning to spin, and he tightened his grip on the counter. Before he even asked the question, he knew the answer.

"So what's the name of the one that got away?"

"Blaine Anderson. He's from around here. Do you know him?"

"No… I don't think I do".


	9. Past Imperfect

Kurt's legs were shaky as he left the 7-11 and made it to his car. Barely.

His head was spinning, and as much as he tried, he couldn't get one clear thought—everything was just a jumble inside his brain.

Blaine had said, over and over again, that he never had a boyfriend before. He told him that. Never had a boyfriend. But yet here is this guy that just appears out of nowhere that obviously had some type of relationship with Blaine. A relationship deep enough where he said he had a ring similar to the one that Blaine had given to him when he promised—what? When he promised to be faithful to him? That was becoming a joke. When he promised to never break his heart? Too late. As he was sitting in his car, Kurt could feel it cracking into little pieces. Why was it becoming so difficult to love Blaine? No—he can't think that! He does love Blaine, with all of his being. So why can't Blaine do the same?

Kurt started the car, and then thought for a split second about going home. But he wanted to see Blaine. He wanted to give him a chance to come clean about what he'd been doing after school, and to be honest with Kurt. If only Kurt can hold it together long enough for this to play out. He looked down at his ring, and rubbed his fingers over the letters that were engraved on it. I love him so much, Kurt thought. Why would he lie?

He drove slowly to their place, turned off his car, and sat for a few minutes. He felt tears starting to form, and didn't want Blaine to see them. He didn't know what bothered him more, really—the fact that Blaine had actually had a boyfriend before, or that he had lied about it. Was he also then lying about Kurt being his "first"? He sighed as he unbuckled his seat belt. Just then, he saw the door open, and Blaine came outside.

"Hey, what's taking you so long?" He then noticed Kurt wipe away a tear, and give a weak smile, and he knew something was up. He walked over to the car, and opened the driver's side door. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I'm fine." Kurt stepped out of the car, and grabbed the bag of snacks. As he closed the door, he tried to muster up the strength for the rest of the night.

"Kurt? What's going on?". Blaine grabbed Kurt's free hand, and looked him up and down. "Did somebody do something to you?" Kurt gave a half laugh at the comment, thinking, yes, someone has done something to me.

"No, I'm ok. Just a little tired. I've missed you". Kurt barely got out the sentence before he felt himself being pulled into a tight hug by Blaine, followed by a kiss that pushed almost everything else out of Kurt's mind. They walked hand and hand into their house, where Kurt put the bag on the counter.

Blaine took Kurt by the hand and led him to their bedroom. For a few moments they just looked at each other, as if they both wanted to say something, but were hesitant. Finally, Blaine put his arms around Kurt, holding him as tight as he could, and whispered in his ear, "Let's just stay here forever and never go out again". Kurt leaned back and looked at Blaine, as tears ran down his face. Was he feeling guilty?

Kurt leaned in to kiss him, and Blaine grabbed Kurt and brought him over to their bed. The tears were still flowing as Blaine began to undress Kurt, looking at the person he loved more than life itself. Kurt wiped away the tears from Blaine's cheeks, and asked what was wrong. This was so out of character for Blaine that Kurt was growing even more suspicious. Was Blaine just going through the motions, and was sad because he wanted to be with someone else?

"I just…I can't imagine my life without you, Kurt. I don't want to."

"Then don't. Don't think about it. Please."

When they were both undressed, they crawled into bed and just held each other. Kurt had tucked himself into Blaine, so that his back was against his chest, and Blaine's arms were tightly around Kurt. Feeling his warm breath against his neck was such a turn-on for Kurt, but he didn't want to move. He wanted to stay wrapped in Blaine forever. He hoped he still had the chance.

* * *

><p>As Kurt fell asleep, Blaine lay there thinking about earlier in the day at the coffee shop. He had gotten a call from someone who said they wanted to talk to him about Dalton—a so-called "friend of a friend". Blaine said ok, but was curious as to why they would choose him rather than one of the senior students. But he agreed to meet the person, and was cordial when he walked in. He was about the same age as Blaine, same coloring, dressed well.<p>

"Hi, I'm Blaine Anderson. And you are…?"

"William Bryant. But everyone calls me Bill."

"So I understand you're thinking about coming to Dalton. First, let me tell you it's a really great school. Very diverse. And if you're interested in singing at all…"

"Yeah…listen, I'm not really interested in Dalton. I'm here to deliver a message from a "friend".

Blaine began to feel uncomfortable, and looked around to see if this person had truly come by himself or if there were others with him. He was not unused to being taunted, but it would be difficult to handle more than one person on a physical basis. He was thinking about Kurt, and glad that he wasn't there.

"And who is this friend? Because honestly, Bill…if that's your name…any friends of mine would speak for themselves. So what's the story?" Blaine was putting on a brave front, but he kept an eye on the door to see if he would be able to get out quickly if he had the opportunity.

"Just this. Your boyfriend is not as innocent as he appears".

Blaine was confused. "This is about Kurt?" He immediately regretted saying his name. Against his better judgment, he continued. "I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at."

Let's just say that Kurt likes to play the field, so to speak".

An envelope was slid over to Blaine. He looked across the table, then down as he opened it. All he could do was stare. "Who gave this to you?"

"Doesn't really matter, does it?"

Blaine spoke again, unchecked. "We're very happy together. I just put a ring on his finger. Why would he do this?" He was saying more to this stranger than he knew he should, but he was not thinking clearly. He repeated, "Who gave this to you?"

He felt sick to his stomach as this bearer of bad news put his hands over Blaine's across the table. "I know how it is when you find out something like this."

Blaine immediately pulled his hands off of the table, pushed his chair back, and walked out. He didn't look back. And he was terrified of looking forward. How could this have happened? And how could he have not seen it coming? He looked at the love of his life curled in next to him. He brushed his hair back, and whispered into a sleeping Kurt's ear "I love you, baby, and I'm not going to give you up that easily".

* * *

><p>When Blaine woke up in the morning, Kurt was already out of bed. He called for him, but he didn't answer. Blaine walked out of the bedroom, and saw Kurt sitting on the couch, picking at his nails. Was this a good time for Blaine to broach the subject of his meeting yesterday? He then looked at the table, and saw Kurt's ring sitting there.<p>

"Why did you take your ring off?"

"Interesting thing about this ring. I ran into someone yesterday that told me that they had one similar. Almost identical." Kurt didn't know where his courage was coming from, but he remained calm. Almost indifferent.

"Well, signet rings are becoming popular again. It's a classic design."

"Yeah, so he tells me that he got this ring from an old boyfriend." Kurt was looking at Blaine's face for some glimmer of—something—and he just stood, listening to Kurt. He's not only a great singer; he's a great actor.

"Funny thing is, he tells me that his old boyfriend's name is Blaine Anderson".

Blaine's mouth dropped open. This can't be happening. "Kurt, you know that's impossible. I told you, I've never had a boyfriend before. I don't know why he said that to you. I don't even know who he is." Blaine was starting to feel as if he was trapped in some really bad movie. Who was this person? "I'm just as blindsided by this as you are."

"See, that's what I said to myself. Blaine told me he's never had a boyfriend before me. So here I am, sitting here, wondering what the real story is. Does my boyfriend…no, I'm sorry, my "betrothed", have an Easy Bake Oven that pops out rings that he gives to everyone he sleeps with?"

"Kurt, stop it! I have never dated anyone else, I've never slept with anyone else, and I certainly wouldn't give him something like that. That ring is important to me. It means something."

"Do tell." Kurt felt his resolve crumbling.

Blaine sat down next to him, and picked up the ring. "Kurt, this ring belonged to my grandfather. I was named after him. My grandmother, her name was Katherine. **B** and **K. **I was left this ring when he died. And it was almost fate that it would have the same initials as ours. It _means_ something, Kurt. It has a history of love behind it. My grandparents were together for over 50 years. That's how I see us. I could have bought you a new one. But this one is part of my family…part of the beginning of us."

Kurt looked at Blaine, who had by now slid the ring back onto his finger. "And I mean what I had inscribed on the band, Kurt. Forever yours, faithfully." Blaine was reconsidering bringing up the information he had been given today. There had to be a mistake.

"I saw you with him, Blaine. At the coffee shop at the outlets. You were holding hands".

"What do you mean you saw us? Were you following me?" Blaine was becoming more confused by Kurt's behavior by the second. "Don't you trust me at all, Kurt?"

"I had Finn's phone by accident, and there was a message on there that someone had seen you with another guy. I couldn't believe it, so I wanted to see for myself, to prove them wrong. And there you were. He was touching you".

"Listen to what you just said, Kurt. He was touching me. And the second he did, I pulled my hands away and left. Did you stick around for that? Of course not, because you immediately assume that I've done you wrong. Poor Kurt." Blaine was getting angrier with each word that came out of his mouth. How dare he act so self-righteous? "If we can't trust each other, Kurt, we have some serious problems ahead".

"How do you think I felt, seeing you there, with another guy?"

"Do you think that I'm immune to jealousy, Kurt? What am I, a robot? When you go home and are there with Finn—the 6'3" All American boy—and I remember how you said you felt about him, how you wanted him, do you think I don't play _that_ little scenario out in my head all the time. I mean, what if, one day, Finn decided that, hey, Kurt is really cute, and really sexy, and let's see what I've been missing all this time…". Blaine was talking so fast that he couldn't catch his breath. And not sure why he brought up Finn.

"That's ridiculous, Blaine. He's my brother."

"Not by blood." It was obvious to Kurt that Blaine had been thinking about this for a while.

"…and very heterosexual." Where on earth was this distrust of _him_ coming from, Kurt wondered, especially since Blaine was the one who was with someone else?

"And can you honestly tell me that when you look at him, you feel nothing?"

"Yes, Blaine, I feel something."

Blaine was crestfallen. He knew it.

"What I feel is the love anyone would have for their brother. Nothing more…nothing less…and certainly nothing sexual."

Blaine sat down and looked up at Kurt, with eyes that were full of sadness. "Kurt, look at me…how can I compete with someone like that? I know you look at other guys. I know you do." Apparently right under my nose, Blaine thought to himself.

"I don't. And compete how? How could any of them interest me when I have you? Blaine, you are perfection to me. And not just your looks, which, I might say, render me speechless every time I look at you. But you are beautiful inside too. And that's the Blaine Anderson that I love. What's really going on here? I mean, you know what you do to me. I waited so long for us to be together. Why would I risk losing that? You know that I love you."

Kurt walked over to Blaine, and pushed his legs apart so that he was standing between them. He took Blaine's face in his hands and repeated, "I love you." Kurt fought the urge to probe more about the person from his past. Blaine said he didn't know who he was. Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

"Do you?" Kurt stepped back as Blaine said it, feeling as if he had been slapped in the face.

"How can you say that to me? I'm here, with you. You have my heart and my body. Only you. I'm wearing your ring-you know, the one that came with a lot of promises that I'm not sure are being kept".

"What? Kurt, I meant every single thing I said when I gave you that ring. I want to be with you forever. I want to give you everything." Blaine began to fight the tears that were coming involuntarily. "I want to marry you, Kurt. And…I'm faithful to _you_." Blaine walked out of the living room and into the bedroom, where he sat at the foot of the bed, shaking his head.

Kurt followed him, and Blaine could barely hold it together long enough to say something that he never, ever thought would come out of his mouth. "Kurt…I know you were with someone else".

"I have never been with anyone else. Ever. You better than anyone should know that". Kurt almost chuckled at the mere thought of what Blaine was saying. But then he became scared by the look on Blaine's face. He was serious.

Blaine reached into his pocket, and pulled out the picture, which he turned towards Kurt. There was nothing Kurt could say. He looked past Blaine's shaking hand into tear-filled eyes.

"I love you, Kurt. But you have to tell me... why him?"


	10. The Truth

Kurt looked at Blaine, who was hurting so badly, and felt guilty when he actually laughed out loud.

"This is funny, Kurt? You kissing someone else is funny? You are many things, Kurt Hummel, but I never thought you were mean".

Kurt cleared his throat. "Blaine…come here".

Blaine stood up and walked slowly over to Kurt. He was taken by surprise when Kurt pushed him—playfully, but hard enough to get his attention—against the wall. He kissed Blaine hard, biting at his bottom lip, and held both of his hands in his, against the wall. He then pressed his lips to the side of Blaine's face, kissing his way up to his ear. As he slid his hand away from Blaine's, and down to the front of his boyfriend's pants, Kurt began to rub gently, and said, with as much conviction as he could—

"Now… do you still think I have a thing for Sam Evans?"

"Kurt…I can't think when you're doing that to me. That's not fair."

"Do you …think I have a thing...for Sam?" Kurt gave him little kisses between the words.

"Why were you laughing, Kurt? Do you know how bad this feels?" Blaine was trying to concentrate, but was flustered by what Kurt had been doing to him a minute earlier.

Kurt reached down and picked up the picture from where Blaine had left it on their bed. "Can you do me a favor and with those puppy dog eyes of yours look carefully at this picture. Really carefully."

Blaine looked at the picture, and then at Kurt as his face flushed. "Oh my God. Kurt…"

"Uh-huh. See that guy in the corner of the picture, looking very cute and very drunk? That would be you."

"You think I looked cute?" Blaine tried to change the subject. It was not working.

"You are always cute, but that's not the point. This was taken at Rachel's party. Do you remember? Doubtful, since you were so drunk. Sam kissed me on a dare. Kissed _me_. Not the other way around. I think he thought he was kissing Santana".

"I'm pretty sure that if someone was kissed by you Kurt, they would know it. Did you like it?" Again, trying to divert. Not working.

"If I remember correctly, I was too busy pining away for you while you were keeping yourself occupied refilling your cup and kissing girls. I believe what I was feeling was nausea."

"Kurt, I'm so sorry".

"Blaine, there is no one else, and there never will be. I love you. Only you. But the bigger question is how someone got a picture of this, and why they gave it to you."

"Kurt, you have to believe me. I don't know who this guy was. In case my fumbling during our first time together didn't give you a clue, I promise you, I've never been with anyone else."

"You don't think…David was behind this, do you?" Kurt had felt that things were resolved on that front, but who else could want them apart?

"I think we're giving him more credit than he deserves. I don't know. But can we please, please not do this to each other anymore. It's exhausting."

"Blaine, why were you so willing to believe that I would fool around with Sam? I mean, not that we were even together as a couple, but you knew how I felt about you".

"I think it's the way he is with you."

"Meaning?"

"When you were here alone with Karofsky-sorry, David—and we didn't know what had happened to you, he was so gentle with you. Finn and Puck were ready to kill someone, but Sam just wanted to take care of you. He went to get the cool washcloth for your head, and…I don't know, the way he looked at you".

"I think maybe Sam is just a nurturer. Not a bad quality to have, you know?"

Kurt heard a noise in the living room, and went to grab Bocelli's cage. "I think someone is feeling a little left out". He placed the cage on the dresser, and stuck his finger between the bars to rub his little head.

"I'm really sorry, Kurt. For everything. Things have not been going as smoothly for us as I had hoped. And I hate when you're sad because of me."

"Then lets get something out of the way, ok? You and I are a team. Partners. When there are problems, we need to work on them as a team. We can't be so afraid of the other person running away that we can't be honest. I want to be able to tell you anything, and I thought we were at that place." Kurt thought about what Burt said in regard to them not knowing each other very well.

"How about this…tomorrow, instead of the movie, let's go have breakfast, and come back and talk. About us. No secrets, ok? The drama has to stop".

"How did you get so smart at such a young age, Kurt?" Blaine bowed in deference to his boyfriend.

"I started listening to my very wise father. But don't tell him that. I'd never hear the end of it."

* * *

><p>Saturday night, they ordered pizza in. Kurt, as usual, ate very little, and was feeding pizza crust to Bocelli. "Kurt, do we really need a bird with garlic breath?"<p>

"He likes it. And when he's happy, he sings more."

"Just like you. You know, I was thinking of coming over to McKinley one day this week so that I can sit in on your GLEE class…I want to hear my guy singing again. I miss that so much, Kurt…I miss the sound of your voice".

"I sing in the shower."

"When you're in the shower, I'm not usually thinking about your singing. Sorry".

"Oh really? And what is it that you _are_ thinking about". Kurt loved when the conversations were like this.

"You know, the usual. Current events. Fashion trends. The weather. My sexy boyfriend, all naked and soapy just a door away. But mostly fashion trends."

Kurt pouted, and Blaine leaned over to kiss him. Kurt put his hand up to his own mouth. "I need to brush my teeth. Bocelli is not the only one with garlic breath". As he was brushing, Blaine was thinking to himself, but said out loud, "So who do you think it was, Kurt?"

Kurt answered, but was barely understandable. He spit, then rinsed. "I don't know. Let's run it past my Dad and Carol. See what they think. Or ask your Mom".

Blaine nodded, then climbed into bed. "Come here, beautiful".

Kurt slid in beside Blaine, and he put his head on Blaine's chest. 'Thank you for telling me about the ring. It really is a great story, about your grandparents. I want that for us. I want to grow old with you."

"You will."

Kurt looked up, and Blaine leaned down to kiss him. Kurt's eyes are so amazing, he thought as he looked into them. The base color is blue, but the highlights in his eyes change even with the different outfits that he wears.

"Your eyes are so beautiful, Kurt." Blaine took his thumb and gently ran it over Kurt's eyelids. "And you mouth is wicked. In a good way", again using his thumb, this time tracing the outline of Kurt's mouth. Kurt stuck out his tongue, teasing the tip of Blaine's finger. Kurt closed his eyes as Blaine slid his finger into his mouth, and he sucked on it, lightly.

"Kurt…that's hot. I mean…really hot". Kurt then took Blaine's hand, and ran his tongue across his palm, causing Blaine to let out a little moan. "Good God, Kurt...", and then he, just barely, ran his tongue across Blaine's wrist. "Ok, that's it. I can't take it anymore…that tongue of yours is driving me insane."

Blaine pulled Kurt up so that they were facing each other on the pillows, and kissed him while putting his hand on the small of his back, pulling him against him.

"What do you want, Kurt? I'll do anything you want." Blaine had his hand on Kurt's hair, running his fingers through it. "Anything".

Kurt looked at Blaine, and a feeling of warmth came over him. He thought about how he really needed to thank his dad, again, for accepting their somewhat unorthodox arrangement. He was sure he didn't really like it, but he wanted Kurt happy. And he was never happier than when he was with Blaine.

"Anything, huh?" Kurt looked at Blaine, and thought about what he wanted to do. He felt like teasing him just a little.

"You know, I've been looking at some things on a few websites…about positions and things like that. I'm hoping that you're really, really limber."

"Oh brother. Kurt, go easy on me. I don't want to disappoint you. Gymnastics was never a strong point for me".

"We could play Twister. I saw that on one of the videos." Kurt of course had not, but loved the look on Blaine's face.

"Naked Twister?" Blaine really hoped he was kidding.

"Spin the bottle?" Kurt was getting very flirty. Blaine loved it.

"There are only two of us, Kurt. Unless you count the bird, and that just isn't right".

"Strip Poker?" Kurt made a gesture with his hands like he was dealing cards.

"We're already naked. Unless you want me to get dressed again".

"Oh, no. Don't even think about it." Kurt was quiet for a moment, and then cuddled up closer to Blaine. "You know what I really like to do…with you?" Blaine saw Kurt begin to blush, and was so disarmed whenever this happened. Kurt had him wrapped around his finger. And he knew it.

"Tell me." Blaine knew that even though they have been lovers, Kurt still got embarrassed saying what he liked. Kurt lowered his head, and Blaine put his hand under his chin to pull it back up.

"Show me then." Blaine leaned back just a little from Kurt, as if to show him that anything he wanted, he could have. Kurt spoke, in barely a whisper-

"Blaine, I love touching you. And when you touch me. It reminds me of the first time we were in this bed together. It was perfect."

"You're perfect, Kurt." Blaine put his hand on his boyfriends face, and pulled his lips to his. Their kiss was deep. Tender. His eyes were closed, but Kurt put his hand on Blaine's chest, his fingers teasing the dark fine hair that started on his chest and moved down to just above his waist. Kurt loved that Blaine's body was so different from his. He was taller than Blaine, but thinner. Blaine was solid, his skin darker, more olive toned. And his hair had a life of it's own. He wore it tightly controlled for school, but every now and then, the curls would loosen, and frame his face. When Blaine has gotten out of the shower, his hair was all dark wet ringlets, and Kurt couldn't keep from touching them. They were so different physically yet fit together perfectly.

Blaine wrapping his warm fingers around him shook Kurt from his daydream. "Like this, Kurt? Is this what you want?" Kurt tried to speak, but couldn't. He could feel his breath becoming labored as Blaine moved his hand up and down, slowly at first, then faster as he watched the reaction of what he was doing on Kurt's face. Kurt could barely hold on when Blaine leaned in and whispered, "Touch me, Kurt". And he did. Blaine stayed where he was, and Kurt closed his eyes and listened as his boyfriend softly moaned into his ear, their fingers touching as they brought each other to the edge…and then over.

"That was incredible, baby. I love you".

"We've made a bit of a mess. I'm…"

"Don't move, Kurt. I don't care. I just want to stay like this for a few minutes. I love feeling you on me. Just don't move, ok?"

Kurt looked at Blaine and all he wanted to do was crawl into his arms and stay there forever. Blaine moved a little so that he was on his back, and Kurt curled up so that Blaine could put his arm around him.

"Fifty years of this, huh? I don't know if my body can take it." Blaine kissed the top of Kurt's head. "But what a way to go."

* * *

><p>They slept later than they had planned, and had to forego breakfast if they wanted to get to Kurt's house and talk to Burt and Carol before Blaine had to head back home. As they drove in separate cars, Kurt kept looking in his rear view mirror at Blaine, who was making faces at him. The finally pulled into the driveway, and Burt and Carol were surprised to see Blaine with Kurt.<p>

"Hello, gentlemen," Carol smiled at them. Are you hungry?"

"No, we were…" Blaine started to speak, but was cut off by Kurt.

"Yes, we're famished." Kurt walked up to Carol and gave his saddest, hungriest face to her. "Please?"

"Ok, you both sit. Burt, come on in here and eat with the boys. Finn?"

Finn walked into the kitchen looking rough. He could barely utter a sound.

"Wow, look what the cat dragged in". Kurt tilted his head to get a better look at his brother. "What on earth happened to you?"

"Women". was all that Finn could say.

"Well, can't help you there." Kurt looked at his parents and started to recount the events of Friday.

"So here's what happened…and it's a lot of info, so stay with me. Blaine got a call from some guy saying he wanted to join Dalton, and could they meet. Blaine said yes. But the guy wasn't who he said he was, and gave Blaine a picture of Sam and I kissing. Then, the same guy…"

"Whoa…you were kissing Sam.?" Burt looked at Blaine, who seemed unmoved by the conversation.

"Well, Sam kissed me, but that's irrelevant. And then I had Finn's phone by accident and I saw a text that said that Blaine was with another guy, and I drove over there, and thought they were holding hands, but they weren't…"

Finn had his head in his hands, and Burt and Carol were just looking at each other.

"So then I run into the same guy at the 7-11, who told me that he dated Blaine, and was given the same kind of ring that I was. So Blaine and I had a fight, but we made up…"

Finn looked at Blaine and Kurt, and asked, "So everything is ok with you guys? For real?"

"Yeah, yeah…but we're wondering who this person was. He took everything he was told and twisted it around, like he was trying to cause a problem between Blaine and I. And we don't even know who he is".

Finn looked at the clock on the wall. "I'm not really hungry. I need to meet Puck in a few. Later."

Kurt thought it was weird that Finn would miss a meal, but he was too wrapped up in their situation to worry about that.

"So what do you think? Is this something that we should be worried about? I mean, we worked it out, and Blaine doesn't think I'm a slut anymore…"

Almost simultaneously, Burt, Carol and Blaine all said "Kurt!" He looked at them and batted his eyelashes. "Just teasing".

"Well, I just think we'll need to see if anything more comes of it. But please, guys don't jump to any conclusions about each other over this. Promise me?" Carol put out waffles for everyone as she finished the sentence.

Finn went into his room and began to text Puck:

_Dude, it's working. _


	11. Boy's Night

Puck looked down at his phone, and saw the message from Finn—

_Dude, it's working_.

It really was a great idea, Puck thought. If Blaine and Kurt both thought that they had competition, maybe they would step up their game a little bit. He saw that on some talk show, so it had to work, right?

_I knew it would. So what's next? _

Well, they're here at the house talking about it to Burt and my mom. Sounds like there were some probs, but they worked it out. Which is awesome

_I'm heading over. What's on the menu?_

_Well, Mom's making waffles. I'll tell her to hold some for you. Better hurry_

_I just need to pick something up on the way. Later_

Puck arrived about 20 minutes later—with Sam. Let's see if Blaine is really over his thoughts about Kurt and Sam being an item, he thought.

They tapped on the door before walking in. Puck walked over to Carol and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Mrs. H, you are a growing boys angel".

"You boys sit. Sam, how are you?"

"I'm good." He looked at Puck. "I've already had breakfast".

"That's ok. I thought that Blaine and Kurt would be happy to see you." Puck looked at Finn and nodded.

Blaine thought for a second about the picture of Kurt and Sam, locked in a kiss, and shook his head to get rid of the image. "Always a pleasure, Sam".

"Yes, always. Here, come sit next to me". Kurt patted the chair next to him, and Sam walked over and sat down. Blaine gave Kurt a sideways look, and then melted as Kurt winked at him. He reached under the table and squeezed Blaine's thigh, which caused Blaine to readjust himself in his seat.

"Kurt, hands on the table", Burt said to his son, noticing the look on Blaine's face. The others all started to laugh, and Kurt pulled his hand from under the table. "Guilty!" he said, and began to blush.

After breakfast Burt and Carol went out, Finn went out with Puck and Sam, and Kurt and Blaine were left on their own. They watched some television, and then Blaine looked at his watch.

"I need get going. I have homework." Blaine didn't want to leave. He loved just relaxing with Kurt.

"I don't want you to go. Stay here tonight." Kurt was making if difficult for Blaine to get motivated. He cuddled up closer on the couch, his hand on Blaine's chest.

"If I stay here tonight, there will be no homework being done, and I need to get a good grade in this class. Now, come on…. let me up". Kurt let him go, but made it clear that he wasn't happy about it.

"So I was thinking…if we work out with Mr. Shue that you come to class with me on Friday, you can come stay here Thursday night, we go to school Friday, and then come back here and have a "Boy's Night".

"Boy's Night?".

"Yeah..you know, we have all of the guys over and just hang out. We can pull the grill out, Puck can bring his guitar. It'll be fun".

"It sounds great, Kurt. Make sure you clear it with your parents…especially the part about me staying over."

"Excellent. Ok, I have a million things to do. What should be serve?"

"We have a few days to think about this. But really, I think the men folk would be fine with things like burgers, you know, the basics."

Kurt was barely paying attention. "Yeah…ok…burgers…right…."

"So who do we invite?"

"Well…there's you and I, Finn, Puck…"

"Sam?" Blaine said it louder than he wanted to. It just kind of slipped out.

"Of course, Sam. He's part of the group. And let's asked Mike. He usually is doing something with Tina, but maybe she'll set him free for a night. This is gonna be so much fun."

Blaine loved when Kurt got excited about things like this. And when he had something to work on, it made the time between when they were together fly by. Blaine couldn't wait until the time came that they could just live together and could wake up every morning with each other.

"Alright, beautiful…I'm off. Walk me to the door." They walked hand in hand to the front door, and Kurt held the door open as Blaine stepped down onto the porch. "I miss you already".

"I'll be back Thursday. Clear it with you parents. And I'll make sure that I get class credit for coming to McKinley. What's the theme this week?"

"Movie Love Songs. So many choices, so little time".

"Well, pick something good. Your biggest fan will be front and center".

Kurt put his hand on Blaine's face, and kissed him goodbye. Blaine turned to leave, and before he got in his car, he looked back at Kurt and put his hand over his heart. I love you, too, Kurt mouthed to him.

Finn walked up behind Kurt and put his hands on his shoulders. "Come on, Romeo, let's go watch a movie or something."

"I prefer Juliet". Kurt looked at his brother with a weak smile.

"Of course you do."

* * *

><p>Everything was cleared with Mr. Shue, and the parents, so Kurt started planning for the long weekend with Blaine. It didn't make sense for them to go back to their place for only one night, so Blaine would stay at the Hummel-Hudson house until Sunday. Kurt worried about the sleeping arrangements. Would his dad be as liberal about things when it was under his roof?<p>

He found the perfect song to sing when Blaine was at McKinley. He'd looked through about a hundred different titles, and when he heard this one, it said everything about how he feels about Blaine, and their relationship. He practiced it with Finn, who said one of the sweetest things Kurt had ever heard from him:

"Dude, I would be honored if another guy sang that to me."

The week dragged by slowly, and Kurt busied himself with shopping lists for Friday Night, and made fun E-vites to send out. Of course, the girls from New Directions were not happy to be excluded, but Kurt promised them all a special Ladies Night soon.

On Thursday morning, Kurt jumped out of bed and grabbed his phone. He texted Blaine, wondering if he was up yet.

_Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Can't wait to see you tonight. Be here for dinner. Carol insists_.

_Good Morning, my Kurt. Can't wait either. What's the word on sleeping arrangements_?

_Undetermined. No worries. We'll work it out. Love you xx_

_Love you too. See you tonight. Bringing Bocelli. xx_

Kurt could barely concentrate at school, and when it was time to leave, he nearly knocked Puck down on his way out the door.

"Where's the fire, kid?"

"No fire. Just Blaine. Gotta go. See you tomorrow-and don't forget your guitar on Friday." Kurt gave half a wave, and kept on running.

Puck saw Finn at his locker, and walked over with a smile on his face. "I see that all is well for the two lovebirds. See, I told you. There's nothing like a little competition to make the heart grow fonder".

"I think it's absence, but I get what you're saying. I just want them to be happy, you know? Kurt deserves it. If it takes stirring things up a bit for them to realize that, then it's worth it. But no more visits from your cousin, ok? He laid it on a little thick with Kurt about the ring…"

They were interrupted by Sam, who wanted to know what time they were getting together on Friday. They told him 6pm, and as he walked away, Puck laughed. "Good thing he doesn't know that we used him to get Blaine jealous. I don't think he'd be very happy. Kurt really isn't his type."

* * *

><p>When Kurt got home, he ran to his room to do his homework, and then asked Carol if she needed any help with dinner. Assuring him that she had everything under control, he went to sit on the couch with his Dad.<p>

"So, thank you for letting Blaine stay here this weekend, Dad. We really appreciate it".

'It's no problem, Kurt. You know I like when Blaine is around." Burt was changing the channel when Kurt put his head on his shoulder.

"I sense there's more you want to talk about?"

"Well, we were wondering about where Blaine was going to sleep." There was silence between the two of them. "I mean, we could sleep in my bed, and just have his feet and my feet at opposite ends".

"You're forgetting that the parts I'm concerned about will still be meeting in the middle, Kurt." Burt let out a small laugh, and looked at his son. He knows that he and Blaine share a bed for part of the week. Was he now supposed to act all high and mighty and forbid them to do something they already do?

"Ok, here's the deal, Kurt. Blaine can stay in your room. But I need you to have some respect for decorum. So…door open, ok? And please try not to do anything that will make us not be able to look you both in the eyes in the morning. I beg you."

"Deal. Thanks, Dad. For everything".

Blaine arrived just before dinner, and soon the table was full of chatter about Burt's day at work, classes both at McKinley and Dalton, Carol's book club, and of course, the party on Friday.

"Blaine, I think you and I should go shopping after dinner. We won't really have time tomorrow. Dad, what's my budget?"

"Well, let's just try to keep it below $100, ok? And that's for the party, Kurt, not for clothing, or products, or…."

"Ok, ok….I get it. Are you finished, Blaine?" Blaine looked at his only halfway eaten dinner, and looked at Kurt. "Should I be?" It was apparent that Kurt wanted to get out to the store, so Blaine pushed his plate away, thanked Carol, and grabbed his keys. "Ok, let's go. We'll be back in a little bit". Kurt grabbed Burt's debit card, and basically danced out of the house.

"I was really still eating, Kurt."

"Well, if you're still hungry when we get back, I'll warm something up for you." Kurt winked at Blaine, knowing that he was not talking about food, and Blaine shook his head. "We need to behave Kurt. Promise? Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"Is there such a thing?" Kurt teased. Blaine rolled his eyes at his apparently very randy boyfriend. It was going to be a long weekend.

Blaine ended up sleeping on an air mattress next to Kurt's bed on Thursday night. He didn't want to take a chance on anything happening that would upset Burt. And Kurt was being less than cooperative. All night, it was a battle of wills between Kurt begging Blaine to come up to his bed, and Blaine telling him to control himself. By the time morning came, they were both exhausted.

Blaine got dressed in the bathroom, and Kurt paced around outside the door. "Kurt, let me get dressed. Please. You're killing me." When Blaine stepped out of the bathroom, Kurt just stared at him. He looked amazing. He was dressed in jeans and a blue button down shirt. Simple enough, but the color was perfect for him. And he had done is hair a little different…a little looser, so that Kurt could actually see the curls that he loved so much. All he could say was "You look good enough to eat".

"Oh, brother. Kurt, get dressed. I'll be upstairs." As he started to leave, Kurt said, with as much sadness as he could, "what, no good morning kiss?"

"Kurt, I'm not coming near you. You've got me all worked up into this…listen, hold that thought, ok. Just please hurry up and get dressed so that we can get to McKinley. And stop looking at me like that."

They took Kurt's car to school, and about halfway there Blaine told Kurt to pull over. "Is something wrong? Is my hair not ok?" Kurt looked down at his outfit. "It can't be what I'm wearing. I'm fabulous."

"Just pull over for a second, ok? Nothings wrong." They pulled over, and Blaine got out of the car and walked over to the driver's side, opening the door. "Get out, Kurt".

Kurt stepped out of the car, and Blaine grabbed him around the waist, pressing him against the door. He kissed him really hard, and Kurt tried to say something, but couldn't. Blaine grabbed the back of Kurt's hair, and held their mouths together. Finally, Kurt pulled away, looking at Blaine. "Wow…that was….wow."

"Now, Kurt, do you think that you can keep your hands to yourself long enough for us to get through school without being suspended for some indecent act?"

"After that kiss, I can't make any promises". Kurt looked at Blaine as he got back into the passenger seat. Wow.

* * *

><p>When they got to McKinley, Blaine let Kurt take the lead on how they would behave with each other as far as holding hands. If Kurt felt it was ok, and safe, then Blaine would trust him. They stopped at Kurt's locker, and Blaine laughed when he saw his picture in there. "That's a good looking fella, I must say". Kurt turned to look at Blaine, and said, "I know. I love a man in a uniform". They had worked out for Blaine to go GLEE practice with Kurt, and to audit some other classes throughout the day. The thought of transferring to McKinley to be with Kurt was really a possibility, in his mind, so Blaine wanted to see what they had to offer.<p>

When it was time for GLEE, Kurt came sliding into the room and saw that Blaine was already there, talking to everyone. He loved that his friends liked his boyfriend, and he was just standing there smiling when Blaine turned around and saw him.

"Hey beautiful. You ready to sing for me?" Kurt blushed, and looked at Finn, who was making a heart sign with his fingers. It was adorable.

Mr. Shue started class by welcoming Blaine. Since everyone knew him, the introduction was brief. "Now, who would like to dazzle us first with their Movie Love Song?"

Kurt jumped up, and volunteered to start things off. "Ok, so my song is from the movie The Karate Kid 2. It's called "The Glory of Love", and I think that it says everything about how I feel. And don't judge me on the movie".

_Tonight it's very clear_

_As we're both lying here_

_There's so many things I want to say_

_I will always love you_

_I would never leave you alone_

_Sometimes I just forget_

_Say things I might regret_

_It breaks my heart to see you crying_

_I don't' want to lose you_

I could never make it alone

Kurt then turned to Blaine, and sang directly to him:

_I am a man who will fight for your honor_

_I'll be the hero you're dreaming of_

_We'll live forever_

_Knowing together that we_

_Did it all for the glory of love_

Kurt finished the next two choruses, as the other GLEE members swayed back and forth, singing along with him. Blaine's heart was racing as he watched Kurt sing with such emotion, and such love. It's been a while since he's heard that voice. It always gave him chills.

"That was fantastic, Kurt. Ok…who's next?" Kurt took a seat next to Blaine, and smiled when Blaine whispered in his ear, "Wait till I get you alone."

At the end of the day, Kurt stopped at his locker to drop off his books, and saw Sam coming down the hall. "Hey, Sam…you're coming tonight, right? Boy's Night!"

"Yeah, I'll be there. So where's Blaine?" Sam seemed uneasy talking to Kurt, which was out of character for him.

"He's waiting in the car. Are you ok? Are you upset with me?" Kurt put his hand on Sam's shoulder, and tried to look past the mop of hair into his face.

"No, I'm ok. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Just yourself. That's more than enough". Kurt smiled and ran down the hall, yelling, "Don't be late!"

* * *

><p>Blaine was pulling the grill out when Kurt came outside. He tried hard to stifle a laugh when he saw that Kurt was wearing an apron that had a French Maid's outfit on it. Sometimes Kurt could really be over the top, but Blaine loved it. There certainly was no one else like him.<p>

Everyone was there before 6pm, and things were well underway within a few minutes. They talked about school, and music, and Prom, which would be coming up soon. They talked about girls. Well, most of them did. Finn was looking at Blaine and Kurt, and how they really were like an old married couple, each completing the others sentences, and was happy that they had finally gotten to a place where things were settling down for them. If Puck was right, then that little bit of jealousy they were both feeling the other day made them stronger, and realize how important they are to each other.

"I heard Mr. Shue say that he was thinking of doing some songs with a Latin theme." Mike said. Finn thought that Mike had it made if that was the case. He was the best dancer of the whole group.

"Well, if that's true, I'm going to choose something by Shakira. That girl is right—her hips don't lie". Kurt then did a little demo of some moves he saw on a Shakira video, while Puck played the guitar, and the others provided some less than savory catcalls. When he was done, he took a bow.

Blaine picked up a paper plate and fanned himself. "I think those moves should be restricted to the privacy of our own home."

"And to think, at one point my boyfriend thought that I wasn't very sexy". Kurt held his arms up like, look at me, I'm amazing, and everyone laughed out loud but Sam, who blurted out—"That's crazy. Look at you".

All heads spun immediately from Kurt to Sam, and Finn leaned in to Puck to say "I think he's starting to piss off our friend over there". They looked at Blaine, who was staring at Kurt with a questioning look on his face.

"Not sure what the story is…and he's kind of freaking me out right now. More than usual". Puck look over at Sam, and said "Hey, Blondie, come help me in the kitchen."

When they got to the doorway, Puck grabbed Sam by his shirt and dragged him inside. "What are you doing? Are you _flirting_ with Kurt?"

"No, I was just…you know…" Sam couldn't say what he was really thinking. It was too embarrassing.

"Listen, he has a boyfriend out there that I don't' think is very happy right now, and that's not what we want, ok? We're trying to make sure they trust each other, and you're not helping matters. So stop it."

"I don't understand. Are they having problems?"

"No, and we want to keep it that way. They have had nothing but headaches since they got together. Finn and I are trying to help them realize that all they need are each other. So…whatever it is that you're doing…don't do it."

"I was just trying to be nice. I like Kurt. A lot".

"Just grab that bowl and lets get back out there before people think that you and I are hooking up. Man…I need new friends".

Things started winding down about 10pm, and everyone was just sitting back, relaxing. Kurt and Blaine were lying in a hammock that Burt had in the backyard, and the others were spread out on the patio. Since they had driven together, when Puck said he was heading out, everyone started to clean up. "Blaine and I can get that, guys."

"Don't get up for us", Puck said, and Kurt gave him a wave of thanks. As they all headed for the door, Finn walked them out.

"This was a good night, Kurt. It was fun. I like your friends." Blaine was holding Kurt in his arms, never thinking that a hammock could be so comfortable.

"Our friends. And yes, it was a nice night. I don't want to move." He pushed back into Blaine, and felt like he could stay there all night.

"Not even to head down to your room?" Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt tighter.

Kurt turned to look at Blaine, causing the hammock to shake. "I thought I was off limits?"

"Yeah, about that. We need to let your parents know that we'll be heading to our place tonight. I know it's late, but there's something I need to do to you that would be considered inappropriate in their house". Blaine kissed Kurt lightly on the lips, and said "but in a few minutes. I like this".

Sam realized that he had forgotten his sweatshirt, and walked through the sliding door to the back yard to grab it. Blaine and Kurt were still where they had left them. Kurt had his eyes closed, and Blaine was running his fingers through his hair. They looked happy.

As he turned towards the house, he gave one last look back. He hopes Blaine knows how lucky he is.

He has Kurt.


	12. Good Times

"But it's late, guys. Why don't you just head out in the morning?" Burt looked at the clock on the wall.

"Well…Dad…we just want to get an early start."

"On what?"

"Umm…Blaine's project. He has something he needs to work on."

"I don't like this, Kurt. I need you guys just call us when you get there, ok?"

"Ok, we will". Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and they made their way out the door. "Which car?"

"We might need the bigger one. I don't know if I'll be able to wait until we get there". Blaine wanted Kurt so badly…that's what they get for climbing into that hammock. Who knew?

"Sex in the car. That's something new…and very classy".

"Kurt, get in the car. Any car. Now."

Kurt got into Blaine's car, since it was the easiest to get out of the driveway. He buckled himself in, barely, as Blaine pulled quickly out into the street. "Do you know that you drive me crazy, Kurt? I mean, I've had to keep my hands to myself as best I can, because I don't want to be disrespectful, and all it does is make me want you more. And for the love of God…please don't ever do those dance moves again. It almost proved very embarrassing for me".

"Was my dancing bad? I thought I had it going on". Kurt swayed back and forth in his seat.

"No, Kurt…you're dancing wasn't bad." Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and put it in his lap. "It was very, very good".

"Ahh…I see". Kurt began to move his hand, and Blaine pushed it away.

"I'm driving, Kurt. You like to live dangerously, don't you?"

"Well, then we'll just talk. Is that ok?" Kurt had plenty he wanted to say.

"Fine. Let's talk". Blaine tried to concentrate on the road.

"You know what I love about you, Blaine? I love your ability to stay calm in any situation". Kurt leaned over and blew into Blaine's ear.

"Kurt…"

"And I love when you come out of the shower…your naked body renders me speechless"

Blaine was wishing that Kurt was speechless right now.

"Can we talk about the weather—please?"

"Of course we can. I understand it's going to be very, very hot later night".

"Ok, enough talking. Let's play the silence game."

Kurt didn't speak…he took Blaine's right hand from the steering wheel, and began kissing his fingertips.

"Ok, that's it." Blaine pulled the car over into an empty parking lot.

"So here's the deal, Kurt. We can maybe try to keep things together for the fifteen or so minutes it will take us to get there, or I'm going to have my way with you in the back seat right now. Your call."

"Can't we do both?" Kurt slid out of the passenger seat and into the back seat.

Blaine shook his head, realizing that he was no match for Kurt. When he wanted to be wicked, he was a master at it. He slid into the back seat, next to Kurt. "Come here, you."

Kurt moved closer to Blaine, and then found himself on his back with Blaine on top of him. Blaine kissed his lips, his neck, that spot behind Kurt's ear that drove him wild. Kurt had his fingers in Blaine's hair, and looking up at him like this just got Kurt more worked up. Blaine reached down, and began to undo Kurt's belt. His fingers felt numb. "Kurt, help me here".

Kurt undid his belt, then his pants, and pulled them down just enough for Blaine to put his fingers around him. Kurt moaned as Blaine squeezed tighter, and he couldn't hold on any longer when Blaine whispered, "I love you, Kurt" into his ear. "I'm so sorry, Blaine". Kurt felt embarrassed that everything happened so quickly.

Blaine kissed him softly. "There's nothing to apologize for, Kurt. Do you know what it does to me, knowing you get that excited about us? I've told you this before. It's really a turn on. Now…let's get you pulled together so that we can get home and pick up where we left off".

Just then, there was a tap at the window. Then a flashlight. Blaine rolled down the window.

"Good evening, Officer. Can we help you?" Kill me now, Blaine thought to himself.

"Everything ok here?"

Blaine was trying to catch his breath, and Kurt was still in a state of disarray.

"Errr…yeah…everything's good."

The officer looked at the guilty face on both of them, knowing exactly what was going on. "You boys have some ID?"

This can't be happening, Blaine thought. He had flashes of he and Kurt on Dateline.

"Here's mine, sir. Kurt, give me your wallet". Kurt tried to get his wallet from his twisted pants. It wasn't working. "Officer, if I may…I seem to be at a disadvantage." Kurt's blushing face made the officer chuckle.

"Fine. Step out of the vehicle and get me your ID".

Kurt did as he was told, and when the officer had both of their licenses, he told them to sit in their car and wait for him to come back.

"Oh my God, Kurt. Do you know what we are? We're public fornicators. I told you to stop with all of the blowing in the ear and sucking on the fingers. Now look at us". Blaine wanted to be mad at Kurt, but when he looked over at him, he just cracked up laughing.

"Public Fornicators? Really? And how do you think I feel. I was literally caught with my pants down."

"We're minors, Kurt. You know they're going to call our parents."

The officer came back, and handed them their licenses. "Say, are you Burt Hummel's kid?"

Oh no. Could it get _any_ worse?

"If I say yes, will that win me a "get out of jail free" card?" The last thing he wanted was for his Dad to hear about this.

"Well, here's the deal. You guys need to not be doing this stuff out in public. There are decency laws. Now why don't you just head on home, and I won't write you up."

"Does this mean that it won't come up at, let's say, a card game or at a Chamber of Commerce meeting? I'd hate for my father to have to suffer because his son has poor moral judgment". Kurt barely held in the laugh.

"Look, I was a kid once, ok? But guys, honestly. Be careful. Not everyone out there would be so understanding. Got it?"

"Understood, sir. And thank you." Blaine turned to look at Kurt when they were alone again.

"Poor moral judgment? Did you get that from CSI or something?"

"Just drive, Blaine. I found this whole thing quite the turn on."

Blaine started the car, stepped on the gas, and pointed his finger at Kurt. "Don't touch me".

* * *

><p>Puck and Finn were hanging out at Breadsticks, waiting for some of the others.<p>

"So what's the deal with Sam? I mean, I didn't think he played for Kurt's team".

Finn dipped a breadstick into his drink.

"That's disgusting. And I didn't think so either. I mean, he dates chicks. But he was looking at Kurt all girly eyed. We need to keep him away from them. I don't' want anything, especially tall, blonde and clueless, to cause any problems.

"We'll just talk to him. I wonder why he likes Kurt. I mean, Kurt's never given him the vibe, you know? It's always been about Blaine. But you know what? When Sam first joined, Kurt thought he was gay. Maybe he saw something we didn't."

"Whatever. I just want him to stay away from Kurt. What we don't need right now is a love triangle."

* * *

><p>Sam felt ridiculous. How could he be having feelings for Kurt? He was his friend. And…he was a guy. He's never had feelings for a guy before. It wasn't like love. It was more of an "I just want to be around him" feeling. Kurt made him feel good about himself.<p>

He thought back to Rachel's party. He and Kurt had kissed. Well, he kissed Kurt, on a dare. It didn't feel weird, though. It felt…different. He wondered if Kurt even remembered it. And what if Blaine found out? He just had to be more careful with his comments.

The thing was, he wasn't lying the other night. He did find Kurt Hummel very sexy. For a guy.

* * *

><p>Blaine and Kurt pulled into their place, and walked to their door. As Blaine was turning the key, Kurt wrapped his arms around his waist. "I'm really sorry about tonight".<p>

"It's ok, baby. At least we didn't get a ticket". He grabbed Kurt's hand and they walked into their living room.

"No, Blaine. I meant…in the car. With us. I know you said it's ok, but it doesn't feel ok to me. I want to make love _with_ you, you know? When that happens, it feels very one sided."

"Kurt…come here." Blaine led him to the couch. "Let me tell you something, ok, and you can choose to believe me, or not. But I hope you do. When we're doing that…I don't see it as two separate acts, you know? You and I. I see it as _us_. If I make you feel good, then it makes me feel good too. It's not a contest."

"I don't think I'm very good at this. If it's possible, I think I'm getting worse. How did you…" Kurt couldn't finish.

"If you're going to ask me how I got good at making love, it's because of the person I am making love with. Kurt, remember our first time?

"Of course I do. It was perfect."

"Think about it. Two people who had never had sex before, right? But because we love each other so much, everything _was_ perfect. Because it was us. And there are going to be times when…one of us…finishes before the other. It doesn't mean anything."

Kurt put his hand in Blaine's hand. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Well, we're both lucky. We have each other. And see…isn't it good to talk about these things right away, before they become an issue? Now come on, it's late. Call your Dad, then let's go to bed."

"I thought we were going to finish where we left off?"

"I said let's go to bed, Kurt. I didn't say we were going to sleep."

Kurt wanted to surprise Blaine with breakfast in bed. He got up early, and took Blaine's car to find a place where he could find something to bring home. They really needed a kitchen. He finally found a 24-hour grocery store, and he brought some pre-sliced fruit and some croissants. He also stopped to pick up coffee for the two of them. When he got back, Blaine was still sound asleep.

He found a tray in one of the cabinets, and arranged the food nicely on it. He wished he had a rose. He walked into the bedroom, and put the tray on top of the dresser. Then he brought the coffee in. He sat on the edge of the bed, just looking at Blaine. He really is so handsome. Kurt brushed back some of his curls, and Blaine began to stir.

"Hey, cutie. Is that coffee I smell?"

"It is. And we also have a light breakfast. Are you ready to get up?"

"In an minute. You know, this is how I want to wake up every morning, Kurt. Looking at you."

"So what do you want to do today? It's beautiful outside".

"Well, I need to get some new clothes. Are you up for the challenge?"

"Are you kidding? Fashion is what I live for. Well, after you." Kurt gave Blaine a quick kiss on the cheek, and then pulled the comforter off of him. "Now let's go…the mall opens in an hour".

"So what are we looking for?" Kurt and Blaine were holding hands as they walked through the mall, noticing some stares and a few comments. "Let them talk. I don't care. How about Banana Republic?"

"I don't think so. I don't see myself as the adventurous type."

They kept on walking, stopping to look in each of the windows. "Oh, what about that outfit? Monochromatic…very stylish."

"Kurt, it's yellow."

"Well, I would say more goldenrod, but I can see your point. You looked so amazing in the blue outfit you had on the other day. Let's look for something like that. I hate to say this…but maybe The Gap?"

"Maybe. It's worth a look." They stepped into The Gap, and Kurt was immediately drawn to a rack of solid color shirts. "It's like a bag of Skittles over here!". Blaine smiled at his boyfriend, and worked his way over where Kurt was standing. "What about this one? It would be perfect with your eyes." Blaine held the shirt up to Blaine's chest, and nodded in approval.

"I like it. What about the red one?"

"Red. Fiery. I say yes." Kurt held onto the two shirts as if he was claiming a prize.

"How about these?" Kurt was holding up a pair of skinny pants with a camouflage print on them. Blaine shook his head. "Am I heading into the jungle any time soon?" Blaine admired Kurt's ability to wear just about anything. He, however, was a little bit more conservative. "I'll pass".

"Too much?" Kurt began eying the pants for himself. Blaine had already walked away.

Kurt head a familiar voice talking to the clerk behind him, and turned around.

"Sam, hey…how are you?"

"I'm good. I'm just…looking for some stuff for school. Are you here alone?"

"No, he isn't". Blaine walked up beside Kurt, and took his hand.

"Well, it was good to see you guys. Gotta run". Sam disappeared quickly between the racks.

"What was that about?" Kurt searched Blaine's face for an explanation.

"What? I can't hold my guys hand in public?"

"No, the defensive stance. Did Sam do something wrong?"

"Well, he was flirting with you the other night, and it ticked me off. Does that count?"

Kurt wasn't sure what Blaine was talking about. "Did I miss something? When was he flirting with me?"

"Kurt, he was making eyes at you all night. And that business when you said I didn't think you were sexy. Apparently _he_ thinks you are. I don't know. It just made me uncomfortable." Blaine pulled Kurt closer.

"You know that kind of thing means nothing to me, right? I didn't even notice. I was too busy thinking about you. You know, the one I absolutely adore. So no worries, ok?"

"Ok. Let's get these two shirts, and get out of here. Are you getting those pants?"

"Not based on that look on your face. Are you hungry?"

"I could use some coffee." Blaine paid for his shirts, and a pair of argyle socks that Kurt said he must have. They made their way to the food court, and grabbed a table.

"So this is nice." Kurt reached across the table and took Blaine's hand in his.

"It is. Now what else do you want to do today? It's still early and…." Blaine stopped talking as he looked past Kurt. "You're not going to believe this."

Kurt turned around, and saw the guy he encountered at the 7-11. The one who said he dated Blaine. The one who also tried to make Blaine think Kurt was involved with Sam. What was he doing here?

Kurt turned back around in his seat and faced Blaine. "Should we say something to him? Find out who he is?". Kurt got a bit of a knot in his stomach when he thought back to how he felt that night.

"Well, I don't think we're going to need to confront him. All we'll have to do is ask Puck. Look."

Kurt saw Puck walk up to the stranger and start talking. What the heck was going on?

"I have a better idea. Let's have Finn meet us for dinner tonight. If something is up, he'll spill it. He can't keep a secret to save his life. And he would basically sell his own mother for a chicken nugget." Kurt began to text Finn when he saw Puck and his friend walking towards them. He grabbed Blaine's hand and pulled him off of his chair.

"Kurt, where are we going?"

"I don't want them to see us. Let's hide over here." He had pulled them behind a Cinnabon kiosk, where they crouched down until the two had walked past. "Ok, let's go."

They began to walk to the exit, and Kurt finished his text to Finn. It didn't take long to get a response. "Ok, we're all set." Kurt put his phone away, and then looked at Blaine, who was making a weird face. "What's wrong?"

"You smell like a cinnamon roll. I kind of like it".


	13. Keeping Up Appearances

"It smells like cake in here." Finn sniffed the air as he walked in.

"It's actually a cinnamon roll". Blaine pointed to Kurt. "You smell delicious".

"I knew I should have showered after the mall. Smelling like a pastry is unacceptable."

Kurt and Blaine ordered Chinese food for the three of them, and Kurt had set it out on their small table. Finn sat on a pillow on the floor, with the other two boys on the couch. They made some small talk about GLEE, and Rachel, and then the subject came up that they were most interested in.

"So Finn…when we were at the mall today, we saw Puck".

"Oh, yeah? What was he doing there?" Finn was trying to use chopsticks as Blaine feared for the state of their carpet.

"Not sure. The weird thing was…we saw him talking to the same guy that tried to cause a problem between Blaine and I. Don't you think that's a strange coincidence?" Kurt handed Finn a plastic fork, and took away the chopsticks.

"Well…yeah, I guess it is." Blaine and Kurt both looked at Finn, and he was feeling the pressure to tell the truth. It didn't take long. "Ok…listen…that guy? He's Puck's cousin."

"I beg your pardon?" Blaine put his plate down and leaned in closer to Finn.

"You can't be mad, ok? I mean, we were just trying to make you guys realize how important your relationship is. That's a good thing, right?"

"Finn, what did you do?" Kurt knew that Finn was a bit dense at times, but he couldn't imagine him purposely hurting him.

"We just figured…that if you both got jealous of each other, you would fight harder to be together. That's all. You aren't mad, are you?"

"Gee, why would I be mad, Finn? Just because this cousin of Pucks hands me a picture of what I'm being told is my boyfriend being unfaithful to me, and then he hurts Kurt by telling him that he and I dated. What is wrong with you guys?"

"We were trying to do something good, Blaine. We just…"

"You just need to mind your business, ok? Kurt and I have done nothing but deal with all of these outside influences, and now I can't even trust his own brother to be on our side. For crying out loud, Finn…"

"I am on your side, Blaine. I think you two are awesome together. Ask anybody".

Kurt watched as they went back and forth. Finally, he'd had enough.

"Gentlemen, stop. Finn, I know that you guys didn't mean any harm, but you have to let Blaine and I work things out for ourselves. We don't need fake problems thrown at us. And Blaine, you know that Finn would never do anything to hurt us on purpose. So…" Kurt grabbed the fortune cookies and gave each of them one. "Truce, ok?"

"Fine." Blaine was still upset, but backed down because of Kurt. Finn sat there with that ridiculous smile he has when he really doesn't have a clue that he did anything wrong. It was kind of endearing, Kurt thought. There was strained conversation between Blaine and Finn, and Kurt went on and on about the newest issue of Vogue. After about two hours, Finn stood up and stretched.

"Well, I'm gonna head back. And again, guys, I'm sorry." He turned to his brother, "You are the perfect hostess, Kurt."

"What does that mean?" Kurt looked at Finn, backing away from the hug he was offering.

"I'm just kidding around, buddy."

"It's not funny, Finn." Kurt got up and walked into the bedroom. Blaine followed him, signaling Finn to stay put.

"Hey, what's going on? Why are you upset?"

Kurt sat down on the end of their bed. "Blaine, you like boys right?"

"No, I'm in love with a specific boy. But yes, technically speaking, I like boys."

"Which I clearly am not. I'm apparently Suzy Homemaker".

"Kurt, it was just Finn being Finn. It doesn't mean anything. Please don't make this into something that it's not." Blaine walked over to Kurt and pulled him into a hug. "You, my darling Kurt, are all the boy that I could ever want."

Finn yelled from the other room "Don't make me come in there and see things that will scar me for the rest of my natural days. Come out here and say goodbye".

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and they walked into the living room. "I really am sorry, Kurt. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings". Finn got the hug that he wanted from Kurt, and smiled.

"It's fine. Be careful driving home, ok?"

"I will. I'll see you tomorrow. Later, Blaine". Finn walked out the door, and they laughed as they heard him trip on the mat outside. "He's a menace to all around him". Kurt shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "He needs training wheels".

"Agreed. Now, beautiful, are you ready for me to show you just how much I like this particular boy?"

Kurt took Blaine's hand and led him to their bedroom. He was feeling so insecure tonight. He looked at Blaine and just took a deep breath. Everything about him—the way he looks, the way he moves, excites Kurt. He wanted to have the same effect on Blaine.

But look at me, he thought to himself.

They held each other close throughout the night and into the morning. They didn't make love that night because Kurt seemed really preoccupied, and Blaine would never want to push something on Kurt that they both didn't want. Blaine left a sleeping Kurt while he ran out to get coffee, and when he got back, Kurt was dressed and ready to go home.

"What's the rush? You have a better offer?" Blaine was obviously trying to tease him, but Kurt just burst into tears. "Kurt, baby, I was just kidding." He walked up to him and took his face in both hands. "You know there is no one better for you than me, right? Tell me you know this".

"I do. But what about you? Am I enough for you?"

"Enough for me? What are you talking about?" Blaine wished that he could put into the right words how Kurt was more than enough for him. That when they were together, Blaine could barely control himself. He hated when Kurt was like this. It made his heart ache to see someone he loves so much doubt their relationship.

"Can we just go? I'm not feeling very well". Kurt was lying. He felt fine. Physically.

"What's wrong?" Blaine put the back of his hand to Kurt's forehead, checking for fever. "I can take care of you, you know."

"I know. I think I just need a dose of Carol's chicken soup."

Blaine drove Kurt home, almost in silence. He was holding Kurt's left hand, and was making circles with his thumb. Kurt had his head turned towards the passenger window, and he seemed to be humming. When they got to Kurt's house, Blaine got out and walked to the other side of his car. He opened it and put his hand out for Kurt. He pulled him up, and Kurt grabbed him into a tight embrace. "Blaine, I love you."

Blaine felt something was amiss, and held him close. "I love you too, Kurt. Forever."

Kurt let go and walked towards the house. As he reached the steps, Blaine called out to him.

"So how did I get so lucky?" He held his hand over his heart, their silent "I love you" to each other.

Kurt just nodded, put his hand over his heart, and smiled at Blaine. He didn't say anything more before he walked into the house. Finn was coming out of the living room, and he smiled when he saw Kurt. "You're home early. Want to watch a movie?"

Kurt shook his head no, then headed down to his room. "I just want to be alone, Finn. It's something I'll need to get used to".

"Dude, what are you talking about? You have us. And you have Blaine." The only response from Kurt was the slamming of his door.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Kurt thought that he needed some advice from someone older and wiser. And someone that would be honest with him.<p>

"Dad, can you come down here?"

"Be right there. You want anything to drink?" Burt grabbed his cup of coffee and made his way to the steps of Kurt's bedroom.

"No, thanks. I just need to talk to you."

When he got downstairs, Burt stood near Kurt's bed. Kurt was sitting up, back against the headboard, looking like he definitely had a lot on his mind. "Can you sit, Dad?"

"Are you ok, Kurt?" He looked at his son, whose eyes had begun to get watery. "What's wrong?" Burt pulled the desk chair up to the side of the bed and looked at Kurt.

"Can I talk to you about something personal?" Kurt felt the redness in his cheeks start immediately upon saying those words. Burt moved uneasily in his chair.

"It's about sex." He watched as Burt put his coffee cup down on the floor.

"You don't want to talk to Finn…or maybe one of girls?"

"Dad, I'm a guy. Why would I want to talk to a girl about boy sex?"

"I don't know. You always seem so comfortable with them. I didn't mean…"

"Yeah, I know. You didn't mean to imply that I was a girl. I get it."

"Kurt, you're my son. You can ask me about anything. You know that."

"Well, I don't want you to freak out when I talk about this stuff".

"I'm sure you realize that I wasn't born yesterday, and I know what goes on between you and Blaine on the weekends. I can't say that I'm completely ok with it, but you're with someone that you love, and that I know loves you. So I won't freak out. Just speak slowly and go easy on your old man". Burt winked at Kurt, and he smiled back at him.

"I do love him, Dad. So...when you and Mom were together…as a couple…did you ever feel like you weren't… good enough?" Kurt couldn't believe that he was asking his father this question. It felt weird, and necessary, at the same time.

Burt cleared his throat. "If what you're asking is if I always felt like I took care of your mothers…needs…I think, yes, I did. But Kurt, you have to understand that the needs between two people in a relationship change all the time-and are not just about sex. Like being there when the other person is hurting, acting as their cheerleader when they feel down, or just being there and not even saying a word."

He felt like he needed to ask his son the next question. "Are you and Blaine having problems…in that area?"

"I don't think so. I don't know, Dad. I just want to be everything for him, but I feel like I don't _know_ anything. If that makes sense. I mean, what's the big deal, right? You just do it."

"Kurt, I don't think that's the kind of relationship that you and Blaine have. Where you just "do it". Burt thought his head was going to explode talking about this to Kurt, but he also felt closer to his son than he ever has. "I've seen you two together enough to know that there's more to you than that. Let me ask _you_ something, ok?"

Kurt repositioned himself so that he was lying on his side, facing his father.

"Has Blaine ever been with anyone else?"

"No, Dad. This is the first time for both of us." Burt knew this about Kurt. He was happy to hear it about Blaine also.

"Then why are you being so hard on yourself with feeling inadequate, when neither one of you have anything to compare each other to?"

"Dad, I'm not very good at it." Kurt turned his head so that he was facing his pillows. He could feel the tears coming, and didn't want to add to the embarrassment he was already feeling. He mumbled into the pillows "Blaine will get tired of me not being able to keep up with him".

"Has he said that to you?" If he did, Burt thought to himself, that was a pretty crappy thing to do.

"No. He says the opposite—that it's a compliment when things move along…quickly." It finally dawned on Burt what Kurt was talking about. His boy reached the finish line before his partner did. Sigh. Such grown up problems for such young boys.

"Then why don't you believe him? Why would he lie to you? Kurt, he loves you."

"But, Dad…what if.." Kurt couldn't finish his sentence. His father stopped him.

"Kurt, you can't live your life by "what ifs". And you have to have faith in that young man of yours. You two made a convincing enough argument that letting you stay there on weekends was the best thing for your relationship. If you don't think that's working anymore…"

"No, Dad, that's not what I'm saying". Kurt sat back up against the headboard, feeling frustrated. "It's just…what if I'm not enough for him?"

Burt started to speak, but then Kurt said, "You know what Dad, you're right. I need to have more faith in us. Thanks for listening."

"Your welcome. You know, Kurt…there isn't anything I would change about you. You know that, right?"

"I do. Thank You." Burt stood up and looked at Kurt. "I love you, kid."

Kurt climbed off the bed and hugged his father. "I love you too, Dad."

* * *

><p>Kurt got up early in the morning and knocked on Finn's door. There was no answer. Kurt pushed the door open and saw Finn sound asleep. He would never hear him going through his closet.<p>

He was looking for something a little more…masculine…to wear the next time he saw Blaine. He loved all of his clothes, but he wanted to try something a little different. Finn wears a lot more flannel than I realized, Kurt thought to himself. Maybe one of his jerseys? Kurt pulled one off of a hanger, and slid it over his head. It was almost to his knees. As he was trying to figure out a way to make it work, Finn rolled over and looked at him.

"Dude, why are you wearing a dress?" He rubbed his eyes to get a clearer look.

"What are you doing? You have your own football jersey."

"Finn, I need different clothes."

"Kurt, you probably have the best wardrobe in town. What's going on?"

"Just help me dress more like…you."

"Are you still upset about what I said about the whole hostess thing? I wasn't saying that you act like a girl. It's just that, you know how to put together a nice dinner. I'm really sorry…"

"Finn, are you going to help me or not. Please don't make me go to my dad for fashion advice. It won't end well for any of us."

Kurt got through the week without any problems, actually had a decent conversation with David Karofsky, and had done well on a test. He looked forward to showing off his new look to Blaine. On Friday, when he was getting ready to leave for their place, he took a last look at himself in the mirror. Hair? Perfect as always. Outfit? Well, he'll know soon enough. He ran up the steps and headed towards the door. "Love you all. See you Sunday."

* * *

><p>"Kurt…are you wearing polyester?" Blaine tilted his head to look at his boyfriend. He was wearing a pair of gray pants and a black polo shirt.<p>

"Do you like it?" Kurt did a little spin in front of Blaine.

"Hmm…its not what I'm used to on you. You look so…different."

"Different good?" Kurt felt his heart sinking. Of course it didn't look good.

"Well, you always look good to me, Kurt".

"I look ridiculous." He sat on the couch. "I just wanted to be more like one of the guys, so that you wouldn't be embarrassed by me".

"Kurt, I am never embarrassed by you. Or what you wear. I wish I had the fashion sense that you do. You see something you like, and you make it your own."

"The way you were looking at the pants I was holding at The Gap…it made me realize that I might need to tone things down for you".

"Ok, the reason that I don't wear clothes like that…you want the truth? I can't pull it off, Kurt. I mean, look at you. You're tall, you have long legs, your coloring…clothes just look good on you. And the way you move when you feel good about what you're wearing…I don't even want to get into that."

Blaine took Kurt's hand in his. "Now come on…what's this really about. You know you can tell me anything, right?" Blaine kissed Kurt, then sat back to look at him. "Come on-talk".

"Blaine, I don't want to lose you." He looked so sad, and Blaine just wanted to pull him into a hug. How did someone so confident on stage become so insecure in his personal life. Blaine needed to get to the root of all of this.

"Sweetie, that's not going to happen. Ever. We made a promise to each other, right? Do you think that things like clothes matter to me? Unless you've already forgotten, I fell in love with you while you were wearing a standard issue Dalton Academy uniform. If there's anything less flattering on anyone, I can't imagine what it is."

"I think you look handsome in your uniform."

"And I love how you used to look in yours, Kurt. What I'm trying to say—obviously not very well—is that what's on the outside doesn't define you. It's the inside that I love. I mean, yes, when I look at you, and those amazing eyes, and that mouth"—Blaine shuddered—"I'm not going to lie and say I don't get turned on…immensely. But I love Kurt Hummel, the person. I don't care what you wear when we go out. When we're out in public, and you hold my hand, I couldn't be any prouder and want everyone to know that we're a couple. I love all as you are. Why is it so hard for you to believe that, Kurt?"

"I think…I'm trying to overcompensate…for my other shortcomings." Kurt looked at Blaine and then hung his head down. Blaine put his hand under Kurt's chin and pulled it up again.

"You don't have any shortcomings, Kurt. And if we're talking about what I think we're talking about…then we just won't have sex any more. If it's going to make you feel bad, even when I tell you that everything is good, then we won't do it."

Kurt's eyes welled with tears. "You don't want to have sex with me anymore?"

"Oh, Kurt. That's not what I said. Honestly, I want to take you into our bed right now and show you just how untrue what you just said is. But that's not the answer." Blaine tried to think for a minute, and brought his hand to his blushing boyfriends face. "I know what to do".

"My parents have a small place down on Briar Hill Lake. It's not too far from here. We're going. Just you and I. There's no phone, there's no television. And there are no other people. It will be just us."

"That sounds perfect".

"I think part of the problem is that we haven't really had a chance to be alone. I mean, we have this place, but we're always still surrounded by our family and our friends. I want to just be alone with you". Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt. "I want to explore every part of you. And I want you to have all of me…no interruptions, no problems. Just us. What do you think? A romantic weekend in front of a roaring fire-what do you say?"

"When do we leave?"


	14. The Hideaway

"Kurt, you need to pack a little bit lighter. We're only going for two nights."

"I want to make sure I have everything. It's not like I can run home and grab something."

"What's with all the clothes? No one is going to see us." Blaine was picking up some of the items from Kurt's suitcase. "Besides, Kurt…I plan on you being undressed a lot of the time". Blaine kissed Kurt on the cheek. "Now hurry up. I want to get going."

Kurt blushed as he grabbed the shirt from Blaine's hand. "I just want to look nice for you. This is our first time away together. Humor me."

They put their bags into Blaine's car, and walked back into the house to say goodbye to everyone. Carol had packed a small basket for them with food, for which they were very thankful. Burt gave them a last minute speech about behaving "responsibly" and Finn…well, Finn just told them to have a great time alone together. "Take care of my brother, Blaine," he said with a serious tone to his voice. "I will Finn. I promise."

Kurt jumped into the car and started talking a mile a minute. "So what is it like?" "Are there neighbors?", "Can we swim there?" "Is there a water filtration system?"

"A what?"

"The drinking water. I don't want us getting sick."

"Kurt, we're staying in Ohio, not going to Tijuana. The water is fine."

"So what are we going to do first?" Blaine gave Kurt a raised eyebrow look.

"Ok, what are we going to do second?" Same look from Blaine.

"I'm so glad Carole packed some food for us. I'll need my strength."

When they got there, Kurt's eyes were huge. He thought it would be a small cabin, but it was bigger than their place back home. It was white with yellow shutters, and had a nice porch out front. He loved it immediately.

"Blaine, this is fabulous. Do you come here a lot?" Kurt ran his fingers over the wicker rocking chairs on the porch, and smiled to himself. He could see himself and Blaine sitting there when they got older.

"Not too often. My parents really use it as a tax write-off. I think it's been over a year since I've been here. Come on, let me show you inside." Blaine pulled out the key, and threw open the door.

Kurt stood next to Blaine in the doorway and scanned the main room. There was a fireplace, a large sectional couch, 2 chairs, and a rug that almost covered the entire room. Off to the left was a kitchen, and then some steps up to what Kurt assumed was the bedroom. He felt frozen in place. It was perfect.

"Blaine, when we get married, I want to honeymoon right here."

"What? Not New York? Or Paris?" Blaine was enjoying the look on Kurt's face. He looked peaceful. And happy. Blaine took Kurt by surprise when he grabbed him, and picked him up, carrying him through the door."

"What was that? Not that I'm complaining".

"Let's consider that a pre-marriage carry over the threshold. It was a practice run."

"I think that might be the most romantic thing I've ever heard". Kurt put his arms around Blaine, and kissed him. "Thank you for bringing me here".

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now, let's get our bags in, and figure out what we're going to do first. Are you hungry yet? We can eat first, and then maybe go for a walk? The area around here is beautiful. Just like you."

Kurt watched as Blaine walked out to the car to grab their things. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so relaxed. Blaine was right. This is exactly what they needed.

* * *

><p>After eating the food that Carol had prepared for them, they changed into more sensible shoes and headed out for a walk. They held hands as they looked at the different trees along the way, and ended up near a dock that had a small boat tied to it.<p>

"This place looks like something from a Norman Rockwell painting. Why haven't you come here more often?"

"Well, my parents are always so busy, and why would I want to come here by myself? I've never had a reason to be here until now. Let's go down to the end of the dock. You'll get a kick out of this."

Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him down, where they sat down with their feet over the side. Kurt seemed a little anxious. "Don't worry…I'll catch you before you fall". He knew exactly what Kurt was thinking. "Now watch". Blaine kicked at one of the posts, and immediately a group of fish began to swim around them. Kurt had never seen anything like this before.

"They're so cute. Are they always here?"

"Usually. I remember I would love to come down here, lie on my stomach, and just use a stick to play with the water so that they would come around. I thought they were my pets", Blaine laughed, thinking about the good times he's had there. And now he was here with Kurt. It didn't get much better than this.

"We're gonna need to gather up some wood for the fireplace. And we need to run into town to get something to make for dinner. It'll be nice to have a real kitchen to work with." Blaine moved closer to Kurt, and took his hand. "You realize, of course, that what you said earlier, about when we get married—that's the first time you've actually said it in a serious manner".

"I was serious. I know I always say things about finishing school, and how it's way in the future. But I see us married, Blaine. I don't have any doubt about that." Kurt turned his head and put it on Blaine's shoulder. Before they were together as a couple, Kurt often thought about what it would be like to be with Blaine like this. It was everything he'd hoped for, and more.

"Come on. Let's go into town, then we can settle in for the night." Blaine stood up, and put his hand out for Kurt.

"But it's only three o'clock", Kurt said, looking at his watch.

"I know. I want this night to start soon." Blaine winked at Kurt, who suddenly agreed that they should get back from town as soon as possible.

They pulled up to the small market in town, and Kurt started to laugh. "You do know that this looks like something from a movie from the 60's. Does that sign actually say they sell wine _and_ bait?"

"Yes, it does. Now what do you want for dinner?"

"Well, I would say fish, but I don't want to feel like I'm eating a relative of any of my new friends down at the dock."

When the walked into the market, someone yelled out from behind the counter "Is that Blaine Anderson? I haven't seen you in forever. How have you been, son?"

"I'm great, Mr. Collins. How are you?" Blaine held out his hand to the older man, and gave him a big smile. "This is my boyfriend Kurt Hummel. We're here at my parents place for the weekend".

"Well it's nice to meet you, Kurt. I've known Blaine here since he's a little boy. He's a good kid. Now what can I get you fellas?"

Kurt was taken aback by the freedom with which Blaine told the man that they were boyfriends. He figured in a small town like this, it would be better kept a secret. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Collins. Your store is fantastic". And Kurt meant it—the store had a little bit of everything.

"I think we'll take some steaks for dinner. How's the corn this year?" Blaine was grabbing some essentials while he spoke.

"Pretty good. I'll grab some for you."

When the groceries were all bagged up, Mr. Collins told the boys that he looked forward to seeing them over the weekend, and sent them off with a wave and a big smile.

"That…was amazing".

"Yeah, Mr. Collins is a good guy. He's been a friend of my family for more years than I can remember."

"He didn't even blink when you introduced me as your boyfriend."

"Well, he knows I'm gay. He wouldn't expect me to show up with a girl. I mean, _that_ would be news around these parts".

They had a great dinner, and then Blaine asked if Kurt wanted to see the upstairs room. "Is that a pick-up line, fella?"

"Give me more credit than that. But…is it working?" Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him up the stairs to a large bedroom with a skylight. "Man, this place just keeps getting better and better", Kurt thought, and then said out loud. "This is definitely the honeymoon place".

"Deal. Now lets go gather up some wood. I promised you a roaring fire."

"Kurt, you have to touch the wood to pick it up". Blaine was laughing at the look on Kurt's face as he grabbed a small log, then threw it down again.

"I think there was something living in that one. Gross." Kurt shook his hands and then looked at Blaine. "I think this is too much nature for me. Permission to head back to the house?"

"Go on. I'll be up there in a few minutes. And Kurt…watch out for snakes."

"Snakes?" Kurt looked around for something he could climb onto. The closest thing was Blaine. He jumped on his back and wrapped his legs around his waist.

"I hope your body can take it, because this is how we will be traversing the grounds from now on".

"Kurt, I can't carry you everywhere. Besides, the snakes will probably be afraid of the wild raccoons anyway". Blaine heard a noise from Kurt that sounded like a swear word, but he wasn't sure.

"Remember what I said about our honeymoon?"

"I do". Blaine knew what was coming next.

"I think Paris is beginning to look really, really good". Blaine picked up the bucket of kindling in one hand, and with Kurt hanging on to him like a koala, they headed back to the house.

* * *

><p>Blaine started the fire, and within a few minutes it was going nicely. He ran upstairs and grabbed the comforter from the bed. As he was spreading it down on the floor in front of the fireplace, Kurt was in the kitchen holding up two wine glasses. "Red or White?"<p>

"What?" Neither one of them drank, so Blaine was confused by the question.

"Red"-Kurt held up a bottle of cranberry juice-"or White"-and in the other hand he held up a bottle of water.

"Let's be adventurous and go with the Red." Blaine pulled two pillows from the couch and put them on the comforter. He looked up at Kurt and patted the ground. "Come here, beautiful".

Kurt walked over with the two glasses, and put them on the table, making sure he used a coaster. He sat down next to Blaine, and looked at the fireplace.

"This had been the best day, Blaine. Thank you for thinking of this".

Blaine lay down on the comforter, and pulled Kurt down with him, holding him against his chest. "Isn't this nice?"

"I think that would be an understatement. You know what would be perfect right now?" Kurt didn't give Blaine a chance to answer. He began to unbutton Blaine's shirt, and slid his hand inside, playing with the hair on Blaine's chest.

"Mmmm….you know what would also be nice?" Blaine pushed Kurt onto his back, and began to kiss his neck. He knew that was the spot that drove Kurt nuts.

He tugged at the front of Kurt's shirt. "How about we take this off?" He unbuttoned the shirt, and Kurt sat up so that Blaine could slide it off. He then took off his own shirt, and looked at his incredible boyfriend. "I love your body, Kurt".

He leaned in to kiss Kurt, and between the heat from the fire, and the heat coming from Kurt, Blaine could barely control himself. He lay Kurt back on one of the pillows, and played with his hair as their kiss lingered. When they finally broke apart, Blaine put his hand on Kurt's chest, and ran his fingers down to his belt. "I think this needs to go now, too".

Kurt lay with his eyes closed as Blaine undid his belt, then his pants, and slid them off. Blaine smiled as he looked down and realized that Kurt was wearing the black satin boxers that he wore their first time. He did it on purpose, he was sure. The sentimentality of the moment warmed Blaine's heart. "These look familiar", be said, and then ran his finger underneath the waistband. "I love these".

"I didn't know if you would remember", Kurt said, his face flushing.

"Oh, I remember, Kurt. I remember every second of that night".

Kurt kissed Blaine's lips first, then worked his way down to his shoulders, and across his chest. "Take your pant's off, Blaine." He did as he was told, and then pulled Kurt up against him. He slid his leg between Kurt's, and rubbed himself against Kurt. It felt amazing, even through the material that was still covering each of them.

"Blaine…?" There was a hint of hesitation in Kurt's voice. Blaine knew the reason.

He pressed his finger to Kurt's lips. "Shhh…no worries… We're going to take things nice and slow, ok? We have all night".

Blaine had Kurt lay on his back, and he straddled him. He leaned down and kissed Kurt, teasing his tongue with his own. Kurt's eyes were closed, and Blaine said, almost whispering, "Open your eyes, Kurt. Look at me". Kurt looked up at Blaine, and he put his hands up on Blaine's chest. "Do you know how much I love you?" Blaine was feeling so emotional, and he wanted to choose his words carefully. "I love you with all of my heart, Kurt." He positioned himself so that he could reach down and caress Kurt as he spoke to him. "I love all of you. I love how your body feels beneath me…and my God, Kurt…I love touching you".

Kurt looked up at Blaine, the man of his dreams, and tried to speak but couldn't. But it was all right, because his eyes said everything to Blaine. Kurt reached down and touched Blaine, sending chills down his spine. "Feel what you do to me, Kurt?"

"Tell me what you want to do, baby. We'll do whatever you want." Blaine had his hands on Kurt's shoulders, and he moved his hips slowly. Kurt began to move his, and they rubbed against each other, getting more and more aroused. 'Do you want to stop for a little bit?"

"No…I can't. Blaine, I want you right now. Please don't stop". Kurt felt himself getting upset, thinking that Blaine didn't want to continue.

"I won't, Kurt. Just…let me know when you feel like you're ready to…you know…and we'll slow down, ok?" Blaine just wanted Kurt to know that everything was all right, and that making love with him, no matter how long it lasted, was amazing every single time.

Blaine thought he would try something different. "Kurt, come up by the couch."

He did, and Blaine had him kneel in front of him, bent over the couch. Blaine knelt behind him, pushing his legs apart so that he was between them. He massaged Kurt's shoulders so that he would relax, kissing the back of his neck. "How does that feel? Is that ok?"

"It feels amazing, Blaine. It really does". Kurt leaned back into Blaine, and when Blaine gently slid Kurt's boxers down, he let out a soft moan. Blaine leaned Kurt forward onto the couch, and reached in front of Kurt, taking him in his hand. He gently massaged him, slowly…and he listened carefully to each breath Kurt took, waiting for the right moment.

Blaine slid his underwear down, and laid his body over Kurt's, still slowly sliding his hand up and down him. "Kurt, are you ready for me?"

Kurt nodded, and Blaine slid into him in one move. "I love you, Kurt. God, I love you…" Blaine moved in and out of Kurt, his hand still around him, and as he felt Kurt's body stiffen, he whispered into his ear, "I'm almost there, Kurt" and at that moment Kurt did the most amazing thing Blaine had ever felt. He tightened himself around Blaine, causing him to cry out at the same time Kurt did. Their timing was perfect, and Blaine looked down at a smile creeping across Kurt's face. It brought tears to his eyes.

Blaine turned Kurt around to face him. They just looked at each other until Kurt said, his grin widening, "Maybe I'm not so bad at this?"

"You, my darling Kurt, are excellent at this." Blaine pulled him into a hug, and he felt Kurt start to cry. He took his face in his hands and looked into those blue eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Kurt began to laugh through his tears. "Nothing. There's absolutely nothing wrong. Finally."


	15. Stronger

Kurt just lay there looking up at the ceiling. Blaine was next to him, making those adorable noises that he does in his sleep.

Last night was amazing, and Kurt felt like, for once, he was free of the fears that seemed to be there just under the surface every day. That Blaine will leave him…that he wasn't good enough…that he didn't measure up as a lover to him. Blaine made all of that go away in one tender, loving night. They truly were two people that fit together perfectly. Kurt felt stronger in himself and in their relationship, and he couldn't help but smile.

He got up as quietly as he could, and walked to the kitchen. He was going to put the coffee on, then start making breakfast for the two of them. Looking in the refrigerator, he saw that they had forgotten to pick up anything for breakfast in their haste to get back from the store. Kurt threw on his pants, grabbed a new shirt, and looked around for Blaine's keys. Once he found them, he walked to the door and tried to open it without making any noise. He looked back and saw Blaine reach up and rub his eyes, then roll over. He really is the most beautiful person Kurt had ever seen.

As he drove into town to the market, he made a mental list of anything else they would need. He really didn't want to do much today but spend time alone with Blaine. He looked at his watch and hoped that the market was even open. He was happy to see that it was.

When he opened the door, Kurt saw Mr. Collins behind his counter, reading the newspaper. "Good Morning, young man. How are you today?"

"I'm excellent, Mr. Collins. We forgot a few things yesterday." Kurt began to look around and grab things like eggs, bacon, bread, OJ…and thought about what to make for dinner that night.

"Where's your other half this morning?"

"He's still sleeping. I thought I would surprise him with some breakfast when he finally gets up. Do you have any suggestions for dinner?"

"Let me see what we have. You know, Kurt is it? I'm really happy to see that Blaine has found someone as nice as you. It's been a long road for him." He looked back down at his newspaper.

"How so?" Kurt walked up to the counter and let everything but the eggs fall out of his arms.

"Well, you know, Blaine and his family have been coming up here for years. He took quite a bit of teasing from the other kids in the area for as long as I've known him."

Blaine had never really talked about his childhood, so Kurt was hanging on to every work that Mr. Collins had to offer.

"He never really fit in. They were all about getting into mischief, and sports, things like that. Blaine was more of a thinker, you know? He used to come in here, after the other boys would give him a hard time, and just talk for hours. It would break my heart when I heard the things the other kids would call him."

Kurt could only imagine.

"How about some chicken for dinner tonight? I'll give you a nice seasoning mix that I know Blaine will enjoy. And Kurt…thank you for being part of his life. I think you two make a nice couple."

"Thank you, Mr. Collins. For everything." Kurt smiled at the grocer, and picked up his bag. Walking slowly to the car, he thought about Blaine as a young child, and felt sad that anyone would hurt him. All he wanted to do right now was get back and crawl under the comforter next to him.

* * *

><p>As he got back to the house, he saw Blaine sitting on one of the wicker rockers that he had admired so much when they first arrived. He looked so cute—wearing a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve t-shirt, bare feet and the hint of growth on his face. Kurt loved what he saw.<p>

He jumped out of the car with his bag of groceries, and Blaine got up to help him. "You know, sweetie, when you leave like that, you really should leave a note. I thought the snakes had gotten you". He leaned in and gave Kurt a quick kiss. Kurt rubbed Blaine's face with the palm of his hand. "I like this. Very rugged looking."

Kurt told Blaine to relax while he made breakfast for them. Blaine had been making an effort to make sure that the normal "female" tasks didn't always default to Kurt. He knew how upset he was about the comment that Finn made, so he tried to share the duties with him. "I can help, Kurt. We can do it together".

"No. You go back outside and sit. Here's a newspaper. I'll call you when it's ready". Kurt had perfected his cooking skills after Burt had his heart attack, and he made most of his meals. Now, with Carol there, he didn't get the chance to really do much in the kitchen.

Blaine flipped through the newspaper to see if anything was going on in town that day. It looked like there was an antique fair later in the day. "Hey Kurt? How do you feel about antiques?"

"I can't that they've ever done anything to offend me. Why?"

"There's a fair in town this afternoon. Do you want to go? We can grab lunch while we're out there."

Kurt was finishing plating the breakfast for them both, and called Blaine in. "Sure, it sounds like fun. But I warn you. I may find something completely hideous for our place. It's almost a guarantee".

Blaine sat down at the table and marveled at the meal Kurt had put together. "This looks great, Kurt. So, after breakfast, a quick shower, then we'll head out."

"Sounds like a plan. Oh, and Blaine? Let's keep this, ok?" Kurt put his hand under Blaine's chin and rubbed his hand back and forth over the stubble that was there. "It's so…Miami Vice".

* * *

><p>"Kurt, are you sure you want to wear that?" Blaine looked at the black skinny pants and matching black shirt and white vest that Kurt was wearing.<p>

"You're right. I'm sorry. I promised I wouldn't wear anything that would embarrass you in public."

"It's not that. We're going to be looking at things that are all old and dirty. Do you really want to mess that outfit up? You look amazing, by the way".

Kurt thought a moment about the dry cleaning bill this could incur. "Ok, let me go change into something that fits the mood better". He ran upstairs and grabbed a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt that he had borrowed from Finn, which was way too big for him. When he came downstairs, Blaine couldn't help but smile. "I think I also see a hay ride in our future. Come on, let's go".

They drove into town and saw different antiques and craft vendors lined up and down the street. "Welcome to Americana" Kurt said as they got out of the car and started walking. Instinctively, they reached for each other's hand, and stopped at almost every booth along the way. They would pick up a few things here and there, leaning in and laughing with each other, but what they heard next stopped them in their tracks.

"Hey look…Anderson finally has a girlfriend". Kurt felt Blaine's hand tighten around his.

"It's ok, Blaine. You can let go if you want to".

"No, I don't want to. I'm proud to be out here with you."

"Anderson, which one wears the pants in the family?" More heckles. It was turning Kurt's stomach. "Let's just go. It's ok".

Blaine led Kurt back the way they came and they looked for their car. "Blaine, I'm sorry."

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong. Neither of us did." Blaine drove back to the house in silence. Nothing had changed here. He was still the outsider. "Kurt, _I'm_ sorry. I promised you a great weekend, and you had to hear that."

"Well, somebody being ignorant is not going to ruin the weekend I'm having with you. This is the best time I've ever had, and nothing is going to change that." Kurt gave Blaine a gentle kiss, and took his hand in his. "Come on. I want to cuddle with my boyfriend".

* * *

><p>They had both dozed off, and Kurt was awakened by Blaine having some type of nightmare. Kurt couldn't understand what he was saying in his sleep, but it was upsetting him and causing him to thrash about. In all of the nights they've spent together, this has never happened before. Kurt didn't know if he should try to wake him, but when he saw how worked up Blaine was getting, he decided to try.<p>

He slowly put his hand on Blaine's shoulder, and whispered "Blaine? It's ok, wake up." When this didn't work, Kurt began to shake him a little, still trying to talk to him "Blaine…I love you…come on, wake up". He finally felt that he needed to snap Blaine out of whatever he was dreaming about, so he said, louder than he planned, "Blaine, baby, wake up!". It was enough to startle Blaine, who, not realizing where he was, swung his hand out and hit Kurt square in the face. Kurt recoiled, and when he put his hand up to his nose, he realized that it was bleeding.

"Oh my God, Kurt, I'm so sorry. Oh, no…" Blaine jumped up and ran down to the kitchen, where he wrapped some ice in a towel and brought it back upstairs. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you". He pressed the towel against the bridge of Kurt's nose, and just sat, horrified, as Kurt looked at him with tear filled eyes.

"Blaine, who else would it have been?" Kurt looked down at his shirt, and thought again that he was happy he had changed before they went out. He then looked at Blaine, who was sitting on the bed looking at him with the saddest face he had ever seen. "It was an accident. I'll be ok." Kurt tried to pull Blaine to him, but he wouldn't move.

"I can't believe I hit you, Kurt. Oh my God, how could I do that?" Blaine dissolved into tears and lay back down on the bed, covering his face with his arm.

"Blaine, look at me." When he didn't, Kurt repeated himself, sterner this time. "Blaine Anderson, look at me".

Pulling his arm away from his face, Blaine turned to look at Kurt. He could barely control the tears, and Kurt reached down and brushed them from his cheeks. "What was going on there? You were having a nightmare of some kind. I just wanted to wake you up so you wouldn't be scared anymore". Kurt put the towel with the ice in it on the nightstand, and curled himself into Blaine. "What were you dreaming about?" He put his hand on Blaine's chest, and could feel his heart racing. "I love you, you know".

Blaine ran the tip of his finger along the bridge of Kurt's nose. "I'm so sorry, beautiful. I told your family I would never hurt you, and look what I did." He tried to turn away from Kurt, who wouldn't let him.

"Blaine, you turn around and look at me, or I am getting in that car and driving back to Lima, and you can find your own way home".

"Kurt, please don't. Please don't leave me". Blaine was a mess, and Kurt just wanted to find out what was going on.

"Forever, remember? That's what we promised. Now what's wrong?" Kurt was brushing Blaine's curls back, and leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "Talk to me".

"It's the guys from town earlier. They would torment me when I was younger, and they're still doing it. I know it shouldn't bother me, but I just felt like that little kid again today that used to run and hide in Mr. Collins' store. I used to do that, you know. I would run away. I'm not brave like you, Kurt. I can't stand up to my bullies. And I was dreaming-" Blaine stopped for a moment, reaching out to hold Kurt's hand, "that they were pulling you away from me. I kept trying to reach out for you, but they were stronger, and every time I would almost have you, you would slip away from me. It was so real. I was calling your name, but you couldn't hear me anymore. Kurt…" Blaine pulled Kurt into the tightest hug that he could, and wouldn't let go. "Please don't leave me, Kurt. I'm so sorry." He rested his head on Kurt's shoulder and cried until there were no more tears left. When his grip on Kurt had relaxed, he lay down again, exhausted, and before long he fell into a peaceful sleep. Kurt lay next to him, wrapping himself around his heartsick boyfriend. "I'll never leave you, Blaine," he whispered to him, hoping that his loving words would break into any bad thoughts that were haunting him. "Never."

* * *

><p>Kurt went downstairs and flopped down on the couch. He thought about how similar he and Blaine really were. They both had ghosts that followed them every day. Kurt had David Karofsky, who would always, in Kurt's mind, be the bully that tortured him every single day for years. And Blaine had his memories to deal with. But he would help him, and they would deal with this together.<p>

He looked at his watch, and thought about preparing dinner early. It would be a good idea—they could eat, then get the fire going, and just relax. He didn't want Blaine to think about anything but the two of them. So he seasoned the chicken and put it in the oven, made a small salad, and decided to sit out on the porch and wait for Blaine to wake up on his own. As he set the table, he held up a knife to look at his reflection, and saw what he dreaded would happen. Two bruises forming under his eyes from the impact to his nose. Oh, brother…this was going to be a tough one to explain when he got home.

Kurt grabbed the newspaper and went outside to sit on the porch. He was out there for only a short time when he heard footsteps and looked up.

"Mr. Collins. What are you doing out here?" Kurt stood up, and offered him a seat next to him. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine, Kurt. I heard what happened when you boys were in town earlier". He just shook his head in disgust. "Some people just never grow up". He looked at Kurt's face, and the forming bruises. "That didn't happen in town, did it?"

"No. It was an accident. Blaine took what happened with those guys pretty hard. He's sleeping right now. Did you want me to go tell him that you're here?"

"No, no. It's you I wanted to talk to, Kurt. There's something I think you should know about Blaine."

"I love him, Mr. Collins. Nothing you tell me will change that".

"I know. And what I tell you may make you love him even more, if that's possible"

Kurt looked with fondness at the man who had been Blaine's protector so many years ago, and waited for him to take a seat.

"I'm listening".


	16. History Lessons

"Well, like I've said, I know Blaine a long time, probably since he was about eight years old. He's always been a good boy." Kurt just listened as he spoke.

"Blaine, he didn't have many friends growing up, but the ones he did have, he was very loyal to. Now, what you need to understand, Kurt, is that with Blaine, everyone that knew him kind of knew that his, how should I say it, his "way" was different. He didn't really like sports, or your typical boy things. He loved music, and reading, you know, things like that. That really didn't sit well with Blaine's parents, especially his father. Now, don't get me wrong, they are nice enough people, but they really were hard on him.

"I think that's why he would come to talk to me so much. I never judged him, and I would listen to him go on and on about what he wanted to do with his life. And my wife was crazy about him. We never had kids of our own, so she doted on him whenever his family came down here. He would just come and sit in the corner of the store, and read a book. He really was a delight to have around."

"He still is", Kurt said with a smile.

"A few years back, there was another young boy in town, who was, you know, like Blaine. They became friends, and they would both come here to help around the store, things like that. I think they felt safe here, because I never tried to tell them to be any different than they were. Well, one day, Ethan, that was the other boy's name, came running into the store telling me that Blaine was in trouble…"

Kurt put his hand on his chest, feeling so sorry for his sleeping boyfriend, and not liking the turn this story was taking.

"So I ran down there, and the other boys had gone, but Blaine was sitting on the sidewalk, having taken an awful beating. It was the saddest thing I had ever seen. I picked him up and brought him back here, to get him cleaned up".

"Why did they do it?" Kurt felt so much rage right now against people he never even knew.

"Because he was different. It seems that they were originally starting on Ethan, and Blaine stepped in to defend the younger boy. They called him all kinds of horrible names, made fun of the way he talked, and Blaine told Ethan to run while he stood there and took it. I don't think I've ever met anyone braver than Blaine Anderson." Mr. Collins reached up and wiped a tear from his eye.

"So we got back to the store, and my wife and I cleaned him up, but he was still looking pretty rough. He begged us not to tell his father he was beat up for protecting the other boy. I don't like lying—I've lived lies my whole life—but in this case, I felt it was more important for Blaine to keep this secret. We told his father that the boys were rough-housing, and it got out of hand. They would rather accept that as the truth than to think their son was defending another boy. And so, you know, Blaine got older, went off to school, had some troubles there, and his parents put him into that private school. It was easier for them".

"That's where we met. At Dalton Academy".

"When I saw the two of your walk in together, and he introduced you to me as his boyfriend, well, I couldn't have been happier. I was so proud of him for being able to do what I had never had the courage to do myself."

"Wait...what?" A light bulb suddenly went off in Kurt's head. "Mr. Collins, are you…gay?"

"I am. But you see, Kurt, in my day, well, folks like us, we could never be open about it. It was just the way it was. So I did all of the things a man was supposed to do, like marry a fine woman, live a productive life. But I was never happy. I had too many skeletons in my closet, so to speak".

"Does Blaine know this?" Kurt had a whole new appreciation for this man sitting next to him.

"Of course he does. He's one of the few that do. I felt I needed to be honest with him, like I am being now with you, because I don't want you to end up like me because of fear. I see the way he looks at you, Kurt. He's happy. And that's all I could ever have wanted for him. He's like the son I never had. I only wish he came around more."

"I think that could be arranged." Kurt smiled at what appeared to be Blaine's savior. Where would he have been without Mr. Collins in his life?

They heard the door open, and Blaine stuck his head out. "Hey…oh hi, Mr. Collins. How are you?"

I'm good, Blaine. Did you have a nice rest?" Kurt felt a warmth between the two that made him respect both of them that much more. "I had some free time today, so I came by and had a nice talk with your boyfriend here. I hope I wasn't too much of a nuisance".

"Never. You are always welcome in our home. You know that."

There appears to be a small animal living on your face." Mr. Collins pointed at Blaine, and started to chuckle.

Blaine rubbed at his chin. "Kurt likes it".

"And I like Kurt. Now, you two young people have a good night." He patted Kurt's hand as he stood up. "What time are you planning on heading out tomorrow?"

"Probably no later than 2pm."

"Good. Well, stop by the store tomorrow before you go. I'll pack up some snacks for you both. Your dinner smells about ready. Take care now".

When he walked away, Blaine looked at Kurt, almost embarrassed. "He told you, didn't he?"

Kurt saw the look on Blaine's face, and all he said was "Well, he just confirmed what I already knew about you. You are perfection." Kurt stood up and walked over to Blaine, wrapping his arms around him. "I love you more than you know."

* * *

><p>After a quiet dinner, Blaine told Kurt that he was going to head up and take a shower. As he stood under the water, he thought about the events of the day, and wished he had been stronger. "Someday" he said out loud to himself.<p>

Blaine was coming down the stairs, rubbing his head with a towel, when he saw Kurt coming through the door. He laughed out loud at the sight waiting for him. Kurt was standing there with a bucket of branches in his hand. He was wearing thigh high waders that he must have found in one of the closets, rubber gloves that went up to almost his elbow, and one of Blaine's mother's hats. In his other hand was a kitchen spatula. "Ok, I know that we said no phones, but I need to grab mine an get a picture of this moment. Kurt, what on earth…?"

"I was helping". Kurt held up the bucket of kindling, with a look of pride on his face that would be equal to someone reeling in a great white shark.

"You are so adorable. But, what's with the spatula?" Blaine made his way down the stairs so that he was standing across from Kurt. He was still laughing.

"I took it with me in case I had to give the beat down to a snake. I was prepared for anything."

Blaine walked over to him and took the hat from his head. His hair was a mess, and, truth be told, looked really sexy like that. He took the bucket from Kurt, and the spatula, and slid the gloves from his hands. "Kurt, you are amazing".

"You like this look, huh? I call it a cross between Elmer Fudd and Auntie Mame. But don't get used to it. These boots are really uncomfortable." Kurt sat down on the floor, and Blaine pulled each of the boots off. Kurt stood back up and tried to smooth his hair down. Blaine grabbed his hand. "No, don't touch your hair. I like it like that".

"I don't think I want to leave this house ever. I want us to live here, have food delivered every day, and just hold you".

"I think, Kurt, that would become very fattening and very expensive. But we can come here any time. Like I said, my parents don't use it anymore." Blaine took a close look at Kurt's face, and ran the tips of his finger across the bruising under his eyes. "Kurt, I really am so sorry about this. Please tell me that you know I would never hurt you".

"Of course I know that. It was just an accident".

"What are we going to tell your Dad when he sees it? He'll hate me. And Finn, well…"

"I'll tell them the truth. You moved, I was too close…it'll be ok. I promise."

"So let's get some of that wood into the fireplace and get it going. I want to look at my sexy boyfriend by firelight." Blaine took the bucket over and started piling the small twigs that Kurt had found. There was still some of the bigger pieces of wood left over from last night, so they were pretty much set.

"Why don't you go jump in the shower, and wash all of that nature off of you? I'll get the fire ready, and then we can just relax."

"I do feel kind of nasty, so deal. I won't be long." Kurt ran up the stairs, and grabbed a towel that they had brought. He wasn't sure of the linens situation, so Kurt had come prepared. Looking in the mirror, he wondered what it was that Blaine liked about his hair like this. It really was a mess. He yelled down the stairs—"Blaine, have I told you today that I love you?"

"I think once or twice."

"Just checking. I'll be back down in a few". Kurt undressed, and started the water in the shower. As he was getting ready to step in, he heard the door start to open an immediately had visions of the movie "Psycho".

"Blaine?" he said quietly.

"Of course it's me. Who else would be creeping in to help you shower?"

"Umm…no one? And what do you mean, help me?"

"You'll see. Now, go ahead and get in there. I'll be right in." Blaine had just gotten out of the shower a few minutes earlier, so he hadn't gotten fully dressed yet. Kurt was always teasing him about them having sex in the shower, and how it hadn't happened yet. Close, but not fully. He pulled the curtain back and stepped in, grabbing Kurt's hand to steady himself.

"Well…hello…" Blaine stood in front of Kurt, looking him up and down. "You have the most beautiful body, Kurt." He then took the soap and rubbed it between his hands. He put it down, and washed up and down Kurt's arms, from his shoulders to his hands. "Do you like that?"

"I do." Kurt watched as Blaine again picked up the soap, knelt down and rubbed it up and down his legs. Kurt could feel things beyond his control starting to happen, and he put his fingers in Blaine's hair, playing with the wet curls. He wondered what Blaine was going to do next, and was surprised when he stood up, and told Kurt to turn around. Kurt waited to feel Blaine's hands on him, and was surprised when felt Blaine begin to wash his hair. It felt amazing. He tilted his head back, and Blaine massaged gently, and then stepped out of the stream of water so that he could rinse the shampoo out. Once this was done, he turned Kurt back around to face him, and kissed him, just teasing him with the tip of his tongue. He looked down between them and saw just how much Kurt was enjoying this, and he again did what Kurt was not expecting. He turned the water off.

Grabbing the towel, he began to rub Kurt's hair so that it wasn't dripping. Yeah, his hair all wild like that was definitely a good look for him, Blaine thought. He pulled the shower curtain, and stepped out. He winked at Kurt, and told him "I'll be waiting downstairs when you're done". Kurt stood there thinking to himself, what the heck just happened?

* * *

><p>He came downstairs to find that Blaine had the fire going, and the comforter laid out for them. Blaine sat down with his back against the couch, and called Kurt over.<p>

"I'm not sure what just happened up there." Kurt pointed towards the ceiling, and he searched Blaine's face for an answer.

"I'm not sure what you mean". Blaine leaned his face over and kissed Kurt on the cheek, then moved down to his neck. "Did something…happen upstairs?"

More kisses, this time on the lips.

"You can ask me, you know". Blaine sat back, giving Kurt a sideways look.

"About?"

"About what Mr. Collins told you. You can ask me anything. I kind of feel like you want to". Blaine took Kurt's hand in his, and just sat, waiting.

"I guess I was just wondering-this other boy, Ethan-why did you send him away when you could have gotten away yourself."

"I guess it's because it was the right thing to do. I mean, he was smaller than me, and a little bit younger. I just didn't want him to have to deal with it. So I told him to run. He came right down to get Mr. Collins, because he knew he would take care of us."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand tighter. "Was Ethan gay too?".

"He was. I mean, I think he was. It's not like I had feelings for him or anything. Like I said, he was younger. But we kind of just hit it off. And I didn't have a whole lot of that going on, either here or back at home".

"You have a lot of friends now. I mean, between Dalton, and Finn, and all of the others. They love you almost as much as I do".

"I know. It's just sometimes, I wish my Dad was like yours. He loves you no matter what. Mine…well…let's just say I've been a disappointment in many ways." Blaine put his head down on Kurt's shoulder, and they sat like that for a few minutes, not saying a word. Kurt thought back to what his Dad said about how needs change, and sometimes, you don't have to speak to be there for someone you love.

"The fire is beautiful", Kurt finally offered up.

"You're beautiful, Kurt." Blaine put his arm around him, and pulled him in close. "So, I've been thinking about a transfer to McKinley".

Kurt sat up and turned to face Blaine. "Are you serious? That would be fantastic. Are you…really?"

"Yeah, I think it's time. I don't like being away from you during the week. I want to be able to hold you whenever I want to, and not have to wait until the weekends."

Kurt could barely contain himself. Then, a thought danced through his head.

"But wait…you don't live in McKinley's district. How would this work?" Suddenly he worried about their weekend arrangements.

"I don't know. Maybe we can bounce the idea off of your Dad, and see if he has any thoughts or suggestions." Blaine liked talking to Burt. He made him feel as if he mattered. "I just want to be with you, Kurt". It came out sounding so sad, almost with a tone of defeat.

"Hey…you are with me. And always will be". He climbed up into Blaine's lap, facing him, and pressed his lips to his. "Why are you so sad?"

"Because I think I let you down today. I'm not your knight in shining armor anymore". Kurt watched as a single tear rolled down Blaine's face. It broke his heart.

"What do you mean? Of course you are. Blaine, you saved me. When I was ready to give up, you came into my life and _saved_ me just by being you. Don't you know that?"

For all of the times that Blaine had been the strong one, Kurt knew that this was his turn. "You, Blaine Anderson, are my hero, and I will love you until the day I take my last breath." Kurt began to fight back tears, and he just held on to Blaine with everything he had in him.

"You know what I want to do right now?" Kurt leaned back and looked at his boyfriend.

"What?" Blaine put his hands around Kurt's waist, holding him.

Kurt put his arms around Blaine's neck, and kissed him. He then pressed his lips to his ear, and said "I want to make love to my boyfriend" And he did. They took turns fulfilling each others fantasies all through the night and into the morning, finally falling into a peaceful sleep in each others arms as the fire burned out.

Blaine was up first, and began packing their things up. Other than the problems in town, this had been the best weekend of his life. He hoped that Kurt felt the same way. Blaine turned and looked down as he heard Kurt mumble, "I need coffee".

"Then lets get going, sleepy head. It's almost 1pm, and we need to stop and see Mr. Collins before we leave."

Kurt got up, folded the comforter, and carried it upstairs. Blaine cleaned out the refrigerator and made sure there were no dirty dishes. He didn't want to leave, but they had to get back to the day-to-day business of school and life back home. "Hey…Kurt?"

"Yes?" Kurt was putting pillows back on the couch, and looked over at Blaine.

"I just love you."

"I know. And I love you right back."

They walked to the door and took a final look into the house. They would be back. They both knew it.

As they got into the car, they turned their phones back on. Their message alerts were playing over and over, indicating that they had many texts to return.

"Huh…interesting." Kurt looked down at his phone, then up at Blaine.

"What's interesting?" Blaine leaned in to look at the screen on Kurt's phone.

_We need to talk—Sam_

Blaine straightened up in his seat and started the car, saying with a sigh "welcome back to reality".

"I wonder what he wants". Kurt put his phone on the console and fastened his seat belt.

"I think we both know the answer to that, Kurt".


	17. Quick Decisions

"We're baaaack", Kurt yelled as the walked through the door.

"Hey kiddo. How was…Kurt, what the hell happened to your face?"

Burt looked at Blaine, who in turn looked at Kurt. Finn heard Burt's raised voice, and came into the kitchen.

"Dude, what happened to you?"

"Well?" Burt continued looking at Blaine waiting for an answer.

"It's nothing, Dad. Blaine was doing something, and I was being nosy, and got too close, and when he moved his arm, it hit my face. It's not a big deal. I think it adds an air of danger to my look". He then grabbed Blaine's hand. "And stop looking at him like that. It was an accident, and he feels bad enough".

"Did I hear the boys get back?" Carol came down the stairs with a big smile on her face, which changed as soon as she saw Kurt. "Honey, what happened?"

Frustrated with all of the questions and looks, Kurt said something he would regret as soon as it left his mouth. "Blaine hit me. I was being bitchy, and he couldn't take it any more".

"Kurt…that is so not funny". Blaine let go of his hand. He looked at them all and said, "I would never hurt him. And I can't believe you think that I would." He turned around and walked out the door, followed by Kurt.

"Blaine, stop! I was only kidding. You saw the looks on their face. I was trying to lighten the mood."

"By telling them that I hit you? Just even saying that makes me sick to my stomach. You know what, Kurt. You deal with your family. Maybe you can convince them that I don't make a habit of smacking my boyfriend around."

Kurt tried to reach for Blaine's hand, but he pulled it away. "Blaine, wait…"

But he got into his car and pulled away. Way to go, Kurt thought to himself.

He walked back into the house, and everyone was still standing where he had left them. "Guys, look. It really was an accident. And he feels awful. What I said was ridiculous".

"It'll be fine, Kurt. He'll settle down". Carol walked over and put her arm around him. "Are you hungry?"

Kurt just stood there, shaking his head. "No, it won't be fine. Listen, we had an amazing weekend, and I found out a lot about Blaine, and his past, and…he's really vulnerable right now. He needs to know that I trust him. That _we_ trust him. I'll be back in a bit. I need to go fix this".

Kurt went back out the door and got into his car. He guessed that Blaine was heading back home, so he drove off in that direction.

He was about halfway between his house and the Anderson house when he saw Blaine's car on the side of the road. He pulled up behind it, and was ready to walk up to the passenger door, slide in, and apologize for what he said earlier in front of his family. But Blaine wasn't in the car. Kurt opened the passenger door, and saw a picture of he and Blaine, that had been taken at Dalton, lying on the seat. It's one he had never seen before, and it was really special. Someone had taken it of them just sitting next to each other, their heads leaning in towards each other like they were sharing a secret, and they were both laughing. It was fantastic. He stood up, and looked around.

Kurt tried to text him, hoping that he had his phone on.

_Blaine, I love you, and I'm sorry. I'm standing at your car. Where are you?_

He walked a little distance past where the car was parked, up towards an elementary school. Since it was Sunday, things were quiet there. He walked onto the grounds, calling out Blaine's name, but he heard nothing in return. Then he saw him—sitting on one of the swings in the play area. He wasn't moving, really. He was just digging his foot into the gravel under the swing.

"Need a push?" Kurt said as he walked up to him.

Blaine didn't look at him, but Kurt could sense that he'd been crying. He put his hand under Blaine's face, and pulled it up so that their eyes met. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to go home yet. It's lonely there without you." Blaine then took Kurt's face in his hands. "I would never hurt you. Ever."

"I know that. And what I said was so incredibly stupid that there really isn't a name for the actual level of stupid. I'm so sorry".

"They all think I did that to you. How could they? I mean…"

Kurt took his hand and pulled him from the swing. "Come with me."

"Where?"

"Back to my house. I want to apologize to you in front of everyone."

Kurt dialed his house, and Carol picked up the phone. "Hey, it's me".

"Kurt, did you talk to Blaine? You know, we really feel bad even thinking for one second that Blaine had done anything to you. Please tell him we're sorry when you see him."

"I'll do you one better. We're coming back to the house. What time will dinner be ready?"

"No more than an hour or so. Is Blaine staying?"

"Yes, he is. He needs to be with family." Kurt realized that he would have to explain that statement further, but not now.

"No problem, sweetie. We'll see you in a few."

* * *

><p>Blaine followed Kurt home in his car, and when they got to the house, he stepped out and took a deep breath, preparing for Round 2 of the inquisition.<p>

"It's ok, Blaine. This is your home too. And your family. Ok?" Blaine nodded, and as Kurt walked in front of him, he grabbed him by the belt loop until he stopped. Blaine put his arms around his waist from behind, and just held him. "I don't deserve you".

They walked through the door for the second time today, and when they got into the kitchen, Burt, Carol and Finn were sitting there waiting for them. "So listen, everyone, what I said was not fair to Blaine. I was trying to be funny, and it didn't work. This guy here"-Kurt put his hand around Blaine's waist and pulled him closer—"is the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him, and I wanted to tell him I'm sorry in front of all of you".

"Blaine, we're sorry too. It was just such a shock to see Kurt's face like that." Carol walked up to Blaine and gave him a hug. "Dinner is almost ready. Why don't you boys go relax and I'll call you when it's on the table".

Blaine looked at Burt and Finn. They hadn't said anything. Until Finn finally said "You're face is dirty." Burt laughed and said "You call that a beard?"

"It's just an experiment. Kurt likes it". Blaine looked at Kurt and smiled.

Carol grabbed Burt's arm after Kurt and Blaine went downstairs, and said, quietly "We need to talk". She then asked Finn to give them some time alone. He mumbled, then went to his room, and Carol asked Burt to sit down.

"What's wrong?"

"We need to talk about the boys." She tried to keep her voice down so that the conversation stayed between the two of them.

"About Kurt and Finn? What's the problem?"

"No, honey…about Kurt and Blaine. I'm getting a little concerned about them".

"But things are going ok. We apologized to Blaine. He seemed better. I really do feel stupid thinking that he had done something to Kurt. He would never…"

"Burt, I'm feeling a little bit uneasy about them".

"Carol, call me dense, but I still don't get what you're talking about. Just say it."

"Fine. Did you see the look on their faces tonight? It was like they felt cornered".

Burt looked at his wife, still with an air of confusion. "Go on".

"Sweetie, I think that these two boys are going to do something to make sure that nothing comes between them. I hope I'm totally overreacting, but the way they looked at each other tonight…they were scared."

"Of what?"

"Of us questioning the content of their relationship. We were worried about Kurt, but I think they saw it as us judging what they have together. I'm worried about their rational thinking when they get like that. We keep forgetting that they are just kids, really. They are living this adult life but they are just boys."

"Are you saying that you think they are going to…hurt each other...to prove a point?" Burt put his hands on the table and just looked down at them

"No, I know that won't happen. I'm just worried that if they are feeling as if they can't be together every day, or that their relationship is threatened for lack of a better word, that they are going to do something that…oh, Burt…I think they are going to do something drastic if they don't feel like their relationship is safe here. The minute we questioned Blaine's actions towards Kurt, they both went into defense mode. We need to keep an eye on them".

"I think they're both too smart for that, Carol. I wouldn't worry".

"I hope you're right." Carol was less than convinced.

* * *

><p>They went down to Kurt's room and put the TV on. As they climbed onto the bed and up against the headboard, Blaine decided he should broach the subject that has been bugging him since earlier in the day.<p>

"Kurt, what's the story with Sam?"

"I'm not sure that he has a story. Oh, you mean about the text?"

"Yeah, about the text. I know that Sam has really been there for both of us, and he is a decent guy…I just don't like where I see this going".

"Blaine, I don't think he's gay. I thought so in the beginning, but I was wrong. He dates girls. And besides, why me? I've never given him any indication that I was the least bit interested in him."

"Well, first of all, you are adorable and very sexy, so _that's_ why he would want you. And trust me, my dear, he was trying to flirt with you the other night. I saw it. So did everyone else."

Kurt slid his hand into Blaine's. "There is nothing there. Never will be. It's you and I, my scruffy looking boyfriend." Kurt put his head on Blaine's shoulder, and they watched the local news like that until Carol popped her head down. "Dinner's ready. Come on you two lovebirds. And speaking of…someone is missing his two daddies".

Kurt ran upstairs to Bocelli's cage, and opened the small door. He put the bird on his finger, and walked him over to Blaine. "Give Daddy a kiss" Kurt said as he leaned his finger into Blaine's face. Bocelli gave him a little peck on the cheek.

"We're waiting on you two. Move it", Burt shouted from the kitchen. "Finn, come on, dinner". The two boys sat at the table next to each other, and talked about their weekend.

"I was very brave", said Kurt. I went out and gathered wood for the fireplace." Everyone lifted their head to look at him. "I did. Tell them, Blaine."

Blaine smiled thinking again about the outfit that Kurt had worn, and wished that he had a picture as proof. "He did. It was really something to see".

"And I met this lovely man who Blaine has known since he was little. His name is Mr. Collins, and he is awesome. He runs a market down there. It looked like Mayberry or something. I had a great time." He squeezed Blaine's knee under the table, which caused Blaine to laugh.

"Kurt, can you keep your hands off of him at least until dessert?" Finn asked Blaine again about the growth he had going on. "Are you going to keep that?"

"I think not", Kurt answered. "I mean, he looks so sexy, but I don't like anything that covers any part of that gorgeous face."

"Oh, brother. You guys are sickening. Mom, make them stop."

Burt looked at Carol. Maybe she was right.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Blaine said thank you to Carol for another amazing dinner, and he and Kurt walked hand in hand to Blaine's car. "I love you so much, Kurt. I wish we were back at the lake, lying in front of the fireplace, making love all night".<p>

"Me too. Especially the making love part". Kurt pressed Blaine against his car, and wrapped his arms around his waist. "I can't get enough of you". He tilted his head down and kissed Blaine, never wanting to let him go.

"What are we going to do, Kurt? I hate leaving you. I get home, I crawl into our lonely bed, and I close my eyes and dream about you…about us. It's maddening." He smiled at Kurt, who held him close.

"Friday will be here soon enough. What are the plans for this coming weekend?"

"Whatever you want. But let's do something different. Something exciting".

"We can have the guys over again. That was fun". Kurt had his hand up, playing with Blaine's hair.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that. Don't like watching my boyfriend get ogled by another guy. Makes me uncomfortable". Blaine was giving Kurt short, sweet kisses as they talked.

"You do know that I need to talk to him."

"Kurt, I don't want you alone with Sam. Please, for me".

"Well, imagine this. What if Sam _is_ going to tell me that he's gay and has a thing for me? Doesn't he have the right, number one, to have our support on coming out, and number two, to know that there will never be a relationship between us?"

Blaine took Kurt's face in his hands and kissed him hard. He moved his hands down to Kurt's hips, and pulled him into him. "I want you right now, Kurt".

"In my parents driveway? Nearly getting a ticket for indecency once was not thrilling enough for you?" Kurt then reached into his pocket. "Ok, good. I just wanted to make sure my wallet was accessible this time. Live and learn." Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just want you to know how much I want you…all the time."

"And this has nothing to do with me talking to Sam?" Kurt cocked his head and waited for an answer.

Blaine kissed Kurt hard yet again. This time, he ran his fingers across the front of Kurt's pants. He heard Kurt let out a little sigh, and that was all that Blaine needed.

"Goodnight, my love. Sleep well." Blaine climbed into his car and started the drive home. Hopefully he had given Kurt enough to think about when he climbed into _his_ bed tonight.

Blaine got home and thought about how much he wanted to be with Kurt on a more regular basis. With the possibility of him transferring to McKinley, that would solve some issues, but would make the housing situation more difficult. He didn't want to sacrifice his weekends alone with Kurt.

He wasn't able to sleep, so he got up and pulled out his laptop. A few of the subjects that he searched were:

_-Apartments available in Lima, Ohio_

_-Transferring high school credits_

_-Age of consent_

_-States that allow gay marriage_

Blaine was surprised to see that not many states actually allowed gay marriage, including Ohio. He looked at the list- Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Washington, DC. Blaine wrote these down, closed his laptop, and settled in for a good nights sleep.

In the morning, Blaine showered and shaved off the few days worth of growth. He would have kept it if Kurt wanted him too, but he was silently relieved that it was gone.

He put his uniform on, fixed his hair, and then sent Kurt a text that would set the wheels in motion.

"_Hey Beautiful-how do you feel about a road trip to our Nation's Capital?"_


	18. Clearer Minds

Kurt looked at his phone, trying to figure out what Blaine's message meant. Washington, DC? This had never come up in any conversations that they've had.

"Have an urge to see the White House, do you?" Kurt texted back. It took a while for Blaine to answer. When he did, he asked Kurt if he could meet him at the coffee shop after school.

_Of course. See you then. Love you. K-_

Finn joined Kurt at the breakfast table, and Carol poured orange juice for both of them.

"Kurt, what's going on with Blaine?" Finn was genuinely concerned. He really likes Blaine, and looks forward to him being part of the family. "He seems so…sulky lately".

"Is that even a word?" Kurt was trying to change the subject, which normally with Finn was easy. Not this time.

"It's just that, he takes everything so serious now. And, I don't want to offend you, Dude, but he seems very clingy. Like a chick."

"He's just going through some stuff right now. For some reason, he thinks I'm going to leave him. Honestly, Finn, I don't even know what to say to him anymore to convince him that I'm here to stay. And, the weird thing is, it's not like he thinks I'll find someone else. He thinks that I'll just get tired of him."

"You know that Sam has it bad for you, right?" Just like Finn. Short and to the point.

"Don't say that. I think Sam is just a little confused." Kurt wanted to keep his focus on he and Blaine, and not have to worry about Sam becoming an issue.

"He talks about you all the time. And that time we were all together... he was making eyes at you all night. It was kinda awkward."

"I know. And I need to talk to him. But Blaine has some problems with that."

Carol broke into the conversation-"Kurt, honey…I think I have to agree with Blaine on this. If he's already feeling insecure, the last thing you need is to make him worry for no reason. The Sam situation can wait a while".

"I guess you're right. One problem at a time".

Carol walked out of the kitchen, and Finn leaned over and said to Kurt that they needed to go downstairs so that he could talk to him about something personal.

When the got to the bottom of the steps, Finn blurted out "I think it has to do with sex".

"You think that _what_ has to do with sex?" Kurt felt his face flush as tried to figure out a way to end this conversation quickly.

"Before you two…you know…there hadn't been anyone else right?" Kurt almost let a smile creep across his face as he watched how serious Finn was being.

"No, Finn. We were both virgins, if that's what you want to know."

"Let me talk to Blaine, ok?"

"Absolutely not. You are not going to talk to him about sex." Kurt felt his head spinning at just the thought.

"I think I can help, Kurt. Trust me".

* * *

><p>School dragged, and Kurt kept checking his watch until it was time to meet Blaine. When he got to the coffee shop, he was already there. Every time Kurt looked at him, his heart began to race. Every single time. Looking at him through the window, he smiled to himself.<p>

"Hey, beautiful" Blaine said as Kurt came through the door. "Come, sit. I've missed you". Blaine reached across the table and held Kurt's hand. He ran his thumb over the ring on Kurt's finger.

"So what's all this about going off to Washington?"

"Did you know that they allow same sex marriage there? I read all about it online. And the age of consent there is 16, so we'd be fine."

"Be fine for what?" Kurt was beginning to get a little anxious, wondering where the conversation was going. "Blaine?"

"Kurt, we can get married there. Right now. Don't you see? Once we're married, everything will be ok. We'll be living together all the time, and I won't have to worry about someone else coming between us. It would be perfect."

"Who is coming between us? There is no one."

"Kurt, I don't deserve you. And once you realize that, you'll leave me just like…"

He felt like he was frozen in place. "Just like who, Blaine? I thought there wasn't anyone else before me? I'm a little confused."

Blaine grabbed both of Kurt's hands in his, the tone becoming desperate. "Baby, let's just do it, ok? You and me? We'll go, and when we come back, we'll be married and no one can come between us. Please, Kurt…marry me…" There were tears welling up in Blaine's eyes, and Kurt was beginning to worry about whether Blaine was even listening to him.

"I think you need to slow down for a second. Blaine, I _am_ going to marry you. But to do it like this, to run away and not be in front of our friends and families, it would diminish everything about that day. Do you think I'm going to change my mind about you? About us?"

The look on Blaine's face made Kurt's heart hurt. "And honestly, do you think I am going to miss the opportunity to shop for a wedding wardrobe? Have we just met?" Blaine smiled at that. "And, most importantly"—Kurt put his hand on the side of Blaine's face—"do you think I want to miss looking at my Prince standing there, in a beautiful tuxedo, on the most important day of our life? I want everyone to share that moment with us."

Blaine felt his plan falling apart. "We won't be able to get married here, Kurt. Not in Ohio."

"So we move somewhere that we _can_ get married. But not yet". Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand, "and don't think it's because I don't want to, because that is the furthest thing from the truth. But we have to finish school, we need to look at college, think about jobs, and as much as it shouldn't be this way, we need to plan for a future move to where we _can_ get married. Sweetie, you're so scared, and I don't think I understand why".

"It's just that I feel like the longer we wait, you're going to slip away from me, and I don't think I could take it".

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt went online to look for the phone number of Mr. Collins' store. He would hate to have Blaine think he was sneaking behind his back, but he has some questions that he needed answers to. Blaine has always been the most confident person he knows. Why all of a sudden is he behaving like this?<p>

He dialed the number and held his breath. After about 5 rings, a machine came on, and he heard the familiar, comforting voice of Mr. Collins. The message says that they don't open until noon. Kurt looked at his watch, and realized that he would need to call at lunchtime. That might be better. It would give him time to gather his thoughts.

He sent a text to Blaine, just to let him know he was thinking about him.

_Can't concentrate. Thinking about my hot boyfriend. xoxo_

Almost immediately, he received a text back, and laughed out loud when he read it-

_Can't concentrate. Thinking about my hot boyfriend. xoxo_

Kurt got through his first two classes, and was ready for lunch. He grabbed a salad, told Mercedes and the girls that he needed to take care of something personal, and he went out to his car. Once inside, he pulled the paper he had written the number on out of his pocket, and dialed. On the second ring, someone picked up.

"Village Market, how can I help you". Kurt recognized the friendly voice immediately.

"Mr. Collins? This is Kurt Hummel, Blaine's….boyfriend." He's not sure why he hesitated. Force of habit, he supposed.

"Hello there, young fella. How are you?"

"I'm good, sir. Mr. Collins, I hope you don't mind me calling you, but I need to speak to you about Blaine".

"He's alright, I hope". Kurt could hear an edge of concern in his voice.

"He's fine. I think. I have a little bit of a situation going on with him, and I'm just trying to figure it all out. I would never want you to betray his trust, but if we could, for now, keep this conversation between us, I would really appreciate it".

"Of course. Now what's troubling our young Mr. Anderson?"

Kurt thought a moment before he began speaking. "I don't think he trusts me". It hurt more than Kurt thought to say that out loud.

"I'm not sure what you mean. Has something happened to make him distrust you?"

"No, sir. Nothing. Well, let me rephrase that. I haven't done anything to make him feel like this. There seems to be a question as to whether an acquaintance of ours has feelings for me. I've told him over and over that nothing will ever happen, and how much I love him, but for some reason, Mr. Collins, he just can't seem to accept that I'm not going to leave him. What am I missing here?"

"Kurt, I think I may be able to offer you a partial explanation, and I can't tell you what to do with it, but I do ask that, if possible, Blaine not know that it came from me."

"I promise. I just want him to believe that I'm not going anywhere. I'm his."

"Do you remember when I told you that Blaine's family was a bit rough on him?"

"I do." Kurt was thinking about Blaine as a younger boy, and wishing he had known him then.

Right after Blaine had his troubles here, his father thought that it would teach him a lesson to have him stay here in town and deal with it. Can you imagine? A young boy like that. They basically dumped him here with my wife and I. It was not bad for us, because we love the boy, but for Blaine, what could he have been thinking when his own parents didn't want him?

"Mr. Collins, that's horrible. How long was he with you?"

A couple of weeks. They finally decided to come and get him because school would be starting shortly. If I could have kept him here with us, I would have. Problem was…" Kurt was sure that he heard the older man's voice catch in his throat "the whole time he was here, the other boys were after him. Ethan had gone on back home, and it was just Blaine. He basically was a shut-in, because he was afraid to go outside. It broke my heart. We did everything we could to make him feel at home, but we weren't his parents."

Kurt has met Blaine's mother. She didn't seem like the type of person that would abandon her son like that. "His mother seems nice, at least on the outside".

"She's an ok person, but Blaine's father is a bit of a tyrant. What he says goes. And he was ashamed of Blaine. Out of sight, out of mind, I suppose. I don't think that Blaine ever got over the feeling of betrayal".

"But I still don't understand why he's behaving the way he is now, about us. You know, one of the things that I fell in love with from the beginning was his confidence. And it's gone."

"Kurt, he had nothing to fear before because he had nothing to lose. Now he does, and it's scaring the hell out of him. The one thing that gives him hope is your relationship. You need to just ride this out with him."

"And I'm willing to do that, absolutely. But what can I say to him to get him to really understand that I'm in this for forever?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing, Kurt. I've never seen him happier than when he was here with you."

* * *

><p>The week blew by quickly, and Kurt prepared to head out to their place. He would need to be gentle with Blaine. Of course he was afraid Kurt would leave him if things—if he—wasn't perfect. The only example he had was his parents, and they tossed him aside like an old shoe when he didn't meet their expectations.<p>

He got to their place before Blaine did. As he pulled into the driveway, he saw Blaine's mother near her car, and he wondered how she could allow Blaine to go through all that he did when he was younger, and not fight for him. That's one thing that Kurt knew about his father—he would fight to the death for him. As he got out of his car, he waved, and continued walking.

Opening the door, he immediately felt like he was home. Walking into the bedroom, he saw that the bed had been made, but it looked like Blaine had been sleeping on top of the comforter. Kurt felt like he just wanted to crawl under there, and just wait for Blaine, and they could lie there together all night. And that's what he did. He took off most of his clothes, pulled the comforter up around him, and waited.

He must have dozed off, because he was awoken by the sound of Blaine's voice alongside his face. "Hey, sleepy. Want some company?"

"Of course I do. I was keeping your place warm for you."

Blaine removed his uniform, and crawled into bed with Kurt. He wrapped his arm around him, and just held him close. He was quiet, Kurt thought, so he began to ask him about his day.

"It was ok. Wes and David took me to lunch, and we had a few laughs. They said they miss you and want to see you soon. I told them maybe next weekend we could all have lunch".

"That sounds great. I miss them too. Maybe we can have them over here."

Kurt decided that there was no time like the present to talk to Blaine. He cuddled up close to him, rubbing his chest with the palm of his hand.

"Blaine, do you know how much I love you? I mean _really_ know?"

"I hope at least half as much as I love you". He played with Kurt's hair and rubbed the side of his face.

"No, not half as much. Just as much. We're a team, right? Isn't that what we've always said?" Kurt had the urge to touch Blaine lower, but didn't want to lose the train of what they were talking about.

"Yes, we have. Only sometimes, Kurt…I can't figure out why you want to be with me. I've hurt you by doing stupid things, and yet you're still here. Why?"

"Would you rather that I walk away?" Kurt looked up and saw Blaine's jaw tighten.

"God, Kurt…no. Please don't say that."

"Then stop asking me why I'm still here. I'm here because my love for you is deeper than anything else. Do you remember…" Kurt stopped himself, realizing that the example he was going to give might upset Blaine. He took a breath and continued. "Do you remember when you showed me the picture of Sam and I, and you said to me that you love me, but just needed to know why? Did you think of leaving me?"

"Of course not. If it had happened…like I was told…it wouldn't make me love you any less. I would never leave you. I'd want to fix things".

"Exactly. Don't you see…this isn't just a little crush. This is a relationship, and thinking all the time that I'm going to leave you just takes so much away from the good stuff." Kurt leaned up over Blaine and kissed him, looking down as Blaine began to smile.

"I love your kisses, Kurt. But you already know that."

"I do. See…I have no problem saying those two words when it comes to you. It's going to happen, Blaine. But when the time is right, and because of love, not desperation, ok?"

Blaine nodded, and flipped Kurt over onto his back. "Do you think I'm a fool?"

"No, I think that you're perfect. And you're all mine".

"You know, Finn called me today. It was probably one of the weirdest conversations I've ever had with another human."

"Yeah, he's good like that. What did he say?" Kurt was afraid to even ask the question.

"He asked if we could talk about sex. I told him I was already taken".

"Come on, let's hear it, so I know how badly to chastise him when I get back there".

"Actually, Kurt, he made a lot of sense." Kurt waited for Blaine to start laughing, but it never came.

"Oh, this I can't wait to hear." Kurt sat up on his elbow and looked at him.

"Well, he told me that he knew that we were both virgins until we met each other, and that he read somewhere that the first person that we have sex with in life is the one that we obsess about…"

"Oh dear- has he been reading Ladies Home Journal or something?"

"No, listen, Kurt. What he said was that in a study done that the relationships that were the most gratifying, that stood the test of time were the ones that were based not only on the physical, but the cerebral".

"Wait a minute…Finn said "cerebral?"

"Well, he said something that sounded like cerebral, so I kind of figured out where he was going. But he's right. Even if something happened where we could never make love again, I would still want to spend the rest of my life right here …because you would still be you."

Kurt felt his heart melting as he listened to his boyfriend talk like this. "I feel the same way, you know."

"What he was trying to tell me is that we're going to go the distance because it's not just about the physical, and that we should realize how deep our love is and stop waiting for something bad to happen, because it isn't going to. It was pretty profound for that brother of yours. I was quite impressed. Then he called me "Dude", and that was that."

"So do you understand now, Blaine, how I feel about you? You are _IT_ for me. No more looking. No searching. I'm with the person I want to spend my life with. Period."

"I get it, Kurt. No more questioning. I promise. It is kind of scary that it took Finn Hudson to explain this to me. I don't think I'll ever get over that".

Blaine pushed Kurt back over onto the pillows, and held his shoulders down while he kissed him. Kurt saw stars every time their lips touched. From that very first kiss…

"I think you deserve something special, Kurt. Come on…let's go start the shower…"

"You don't mean? Finally?" Kurt felt his heart jump in his chest as he thought about what awaited him just a door away.

"Well, I was a little unfair to you out at the lake, teasing you like that."

Kurt leaned up to kiss him, then pushed Blaine off of him, along with the comforter.

"Umm…Kurt? Don't you want to wait for me?"

He caught up to Kurt, and they both had their hand on the doorknob. Blaine rested his head against Kurt's shoulder, and they opened the door together.

"Oh, my God…when did you do this?" Kurt turned to Blaine with a smile that went from ear to ear.

"While you were sleeping. Do you like it?" Blaine kissed him softly on the cheek.

"It's…fantastic. Blaine…thank you".

"Don't thank me yet, love…the best is yet to come".


	19. Sweet Dreams

Kurt couldn't take everything in at once. There were beautiful red and white candles flickering in the corners of the tub, casting shadows in the room. In the sink were flowers floating at the top of the half filled basin.

On the mirror, illuminated only by candlelight, were the words **Blaine Loves Kurt **written inside of a heart. Scattered everywhere were rose petals. It was probably the most romantic thing that Kurt has ever seen.

"You did all this for me?" Kurt was feeling almost lightheaded.

"Of course I did it for you. I love you. And I want you to know every single day how much. I'm sorry for the drama lately, and I'm sorry if I made you worry. I just…I just love you, Kurt."

Blaine turned on the water in the shower so that it was a slow stream. He wanted the candles to last as long as they could, so he tried to direct the water away from them. He turned to Kurt, who was still looking around, and put his hands on his waist, pulling him close. He looked into those amazing blue eyes, and pressed his lips to Kurt's. Their tongues began to touch, and Blaine had to hold him tighter as he felt Kurt's legs weaken.

"So tell me…why have you been so anxious to make love in the shower?" Blaine had broken their kiss to speak, but Kurt's mouth was still partially open, wanting Blaine's tongue right back where it was.

Kurt began to blush, and looked away. Blaine turned his face back towards his. "Don't tell me that you're being shy now? I know you better than that. When it comes to us…to this…my Kurt isn't shy".

Blaine led Kurt to the edge of the shower, and stepped inside. He then took Kurt's hand and helped him in. The water was hitting Blaine's back, and every so often he would move just a little bit so that the water would splash Kurt, making him laugh out loud.

"Talk to me, love". Blaine ran his fingers down Kurt's arms, and when he got to his fingers, he picked up his hand and pressed them to his lips, kissing each one.

Kurt took his hands and put them on Blaine's chest. He loved touching his body. "Before you and I were…together…the shower was the place where I would have my most vivid fantasies about you. About us."

"I'm intrigued. Continue."

"I used to picture us in the shower together, all wet, your curls all out of control", Kurt closed his eyes as he began to imagine it again. "It's not something that I thought would actually ever happen. You know…I've dreamed about you every night since we met". Kurt began to feel the tears rimming his eyes, and blinked as they ran down his cheek. "I can't believe that my dream came true". Kurt reached up to wipe away a tear, and Blaine put his hand on his face. He then leaned back into the spraying water so that his hair was completely wet, causing all of his curls to spring back to life after being held in place by gel.

"Did my hair look something like this in your dreams?" Blaine shook his head, and the water splashed onto Kurt's face. "Yes, it did". Kurt reached over and played with Blaine's hair. "Just like this."

"And what about when I kissed you, Kurt…did it feel like this?" Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt's, and heard him moan as the kiss became deeper. Kurt put his arms around Blaine's neck, the length of their bodies now touching.

When Blaine pulled his mouth away, Kurt could barely catch his breath. "I love you" was all that he could say.

Blaine turned Kurt so that he was underneath the water now. He looked amazing standing there, soaking wet, his chest rising and falling quickly. Blaine reached down and felt, gently, the effects of what he was doing to Kurt. "And what about when I would touch you in your dreams, baby? Did it feel like this?" Blaine wrapped his fingers around Kurt, who closed his eyes and laid his head back into to shower stream. Blaine moved his hand slowly, and Kurt had to grip the wall to steady himself.

"Hold on to me, Kurt. I won't let you fall". Kurt moved his hand from the wall to Blaine's shoulder, holding tightly as he moved his hips into Blaine's hand. It felt incredible. Blaine kissed his shoulder, then moved up to his neck, his hand constantly moving on Kurt, and then back to his lips, teasing them.

"Am I making your dreams come true, Kurt?" He nodded slowly, then had to hold on to Blaine tighter as he felt ready to collapse.

Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear, which drove Kurt wild. "Are you ready for me, Kurt?" Again, Kurt silently nodded yes, unable to put words together. "Because I am _so_ ready for you". Blaine turned Kurt around again, this time so that his back was against Blaine's chest. He took Kurt's hand, and brought it back so that Kurt was touching him. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes" was all that Kurt could say, and it was barely loud enough for Blaine to hear.

"Do you want me here, or in our bed?"

"Both. I want both. I just want you…". Kurt could feel Blaine's heart beating against his back, and was saying a silent prayer of thanks that he had Blaine's body there to support his.

Blaine moved Kurt forward, so that he was almost to the opposite shower wall. He took Kurt's hands and put them against the wall, and then moved his own hands down to Kurt's hips. He lifted Kurt's right leg onto the edge of the tub, and moved in close behind him. He used his fingers first, making sure that Kurt was ready, and as Kurt felt the cold shower wall against his hands, Blaine, without a word, pushed into him. He had to hold Kurt's waist so that he wouldn't lose his balance, and each time Blaine moved inside of him, Kurt let out a small moan, driving Blaine to the edge…and over…quickly.

Kurt let out a sigh, sad that this incredible moment was over.

"It's ok, sweetie…we're not done yet". Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him over to their bed, leaving a trail of water across the room. He crawled up onto the pillows, and Kurt followed. Blaine just watched as Kurt made his way on top of him. "Make love to me Kurt…whatever you did with me in your dreams…do it now for me".

Kurt straddled Blaine's hips, and leaned down to kiss him. He put his fingers in Blaine's hair, and tugged lightly, causing Blaine to give him a look of surprise.

"Go ahead, Kurt. Whatever you want. I'm yours."

"I love you", Kurt said, looking down at him.

"I know" Blaine wanted Kurt to have all of his fantasies comes true. "I love you too".

Kurt moved his body slowly down Blaine's, kissing his chest and stomach on the way. Blaine stared as Kurt moved his mouth just above him, and then teased him with his tongue before sliding his lips around him. He moaned loudly as Kurt moved his mouth up and down, and when Kurt lifted his eyes to look at him, Blaine could barely control himself.

Kurt slid his mouth from Blaine, and by the look on his face, he knew that there was something else going on in Kurt's mind. "What is it? Do you want to do something else? Just tell me, Kurt…but quickly, because I don't think I'm going to be able to…cooperate…much longer".

"If you knew what I wanted to do right this very second, you would think really bad things about your boyfriend". Kurt flushed, and then brushed the tip of his tongue across Blaine. "I want to…"

"Kurt, please, tell me…you're driving me crazy…"

Kurt gave a wicked smile, which meant he knew exactly what he was doing to Blaine. He moved up to the pillows, and lay down next to Blaine. "What I want you to do…for me…"

"Kurt…anything…" Blaine felt as if time was running out for him. "Say it".

He pulled Blaine so that he was straddling his chest, and then Kurt parted his lips slightly, running his tongue across them. He took his finger and pointed at his mouth. "I want you…right here..."

"Wow. I have to say…I think I'm going to love this, Kurt". Blaine moved up higher, to where his legs were on either side of Kurt's slender shoulders. As he positioned himself, Kurt ran his fingernails down his thigh, which sent shivers through Blaine.

"Kurt Hummel, you don't play fair." With that, he slid himself between Kurt's lips, and then further, moving his hips slowly. It was a feeling unlike anything Blaine has ever had. He held on to the headboard and cried out Kurt's name as he was brought to completion yet again by his beautiful boyfriend. My God, he thought to himself, Kurt is an incredible lover. He wanted to make sure that _this_ particular item was added to their menu often.

"Was that ok?" Kurt looked at him with all of the innocence he could muster, but he wasn't fooling Blaine.

"You know exactly what your doing, Kurt. Don't act all innocent with me. Once you get behind these bedroom doors, I'm not sure what comes over you, but I don't ever want it to stop".

Kurt laughed when he thought at that moment about Finn, and his theory about sex and relationships. But he was right. Even with as amazing as sex is with Blaine, Kurt would love him just as much even if things changed in the physical area. He loved his heart and mind just as much as he coveted his body.

"I do, however, think we may need to pace ourselves or we won't survive the weekend". Blaine pulled Kurt into a hug, and they just lay there until they both fell asleep. Well, Blaine fell asleep first. Kurt lay there thinking about the day. As he got up to take one last look into the bathroom, to make sure all of the candles were out, he looked at the heart drawn on the mirror, and his heart felt full. Crawling back into bed, he gave Blaine a light kiss on the cheek. He could swear he saw Blaine smile in his sleep. He hopes his dreams are good ones.

* * *

><p>The next morning, as they dressed to head out for breakfast, Kurt wanted to talk to Blaine about a song selection he had made for class. It was supposed to be something with a Latin rhythm.<p>

"No Shakira, right?" Blaine remembered Kurt's moves at their party. He didn't want anyone seeing his hips move like that besides him.

"No. But I want it to be something fun. I was thinking about "I Need To Know" by Marc Anthony".

"Grab my computer. Let's take a look". Blaine went to You Tube, and typed in the song. As soon as the music started in the video, Blaine looked over his laptop at Kurt. "You're serious?"

'What's wrong? It's a great song."

"Yeah…it's also a very sexy song. Do you think it's appropriate for class?"

"This coming from a guy who sang at a GAP about sex toys in someone's nightstand?" Kurt tried to lighten the mood, but Blaine was serious.

"Ok, I think I know what this is about. It's not about my singing this to the class that's the problem. It's one particular student. I thought we were past this".

"_We_ are past it. He may not be".

"Then let me talk to him. Tell him the truth. I'm not interested in him as anything more than a friend. He has to hear it from me."

"In public, ok?"

Kurt walked over and put his arms around Blaine. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do. But you bring out the animal in men, Kurt. I want to try to contain that a little bit. So…no Marc Anthony." He kissed Kurt on the tip of his nose. "How about some nice, tame Broadway tune?"

* * *

><p>Blaine called Wes and David to see if they wanted to get together with he and Kurt for lunch. They agreed, deciding to meet at a local diner. When they walked in, Kurt realized how much he missed them.<p>

"Hey stranger" Wes called out to Kurt. "You been taking good care of our boy here?"

Kurt thought about last night, and said, "I would say I am most definitely taking care of all of his needs". Blaine kicked him under the table. Kurt just winked at him.

"How's that brother of yours, Kurt?"

"Why? Interested?"

"You never know. A good man is hard to find." Wes was teasing, of course. But he did like Finn, and he thought the relationship he and Kurt had was a great one.

"So let me ask you both a question. I'm working on a song for class, and Blaine thinks my choice is a bit too…saucy. I was thinking of going with "Need To Know" by Marc Anthony…"

"That's a hot song. Are you going to do the whole hip swinging, open shirt business?" David looked at Blaine for a reaction. He got it.

"No, he is not." He leaned in and pressed his shoulder against Kurt's. "Those moves are reserved for his boyfriend, thank you."

The foursome spent a few hours together, talking about Dalton, and Blaine's possible transfer to McKinley, their time at the lake, and of course, music. After Wes and David left, they sat for a few minutes, drinking their coffee, and the subject of the transfer came up again. "Let's talk to your parents this week and see if they have any suggestions on how to make this work. Once we get all of the details worked out, including the residency situation, then I'll tell my parents that their financial bondage to Dalton, and to me, is over. I'm sure they'll be thrilled".

* * *

><p>Kurt saw Sam first thing Monday morning, and asked if they could get together at lunch to talk. Sam agreed, and Kurt spent the rest of the morning working out what he was going to say to him.<p>

When lunchtime came, Sam was waiting at Kurt's locker. When Kurt opened it, Sam was face to face with the picture of Blaine in there.

"How is Blaine?" Sam said, half- heartedly.

"He's fantastic. Thank you for asking. So…what did you want to talk to me about, Sam?"

"It's kind of weird, really. I mean, not weird. But…"

"How about you just say it, and then we'll sort out the weird factor." Sam kept looking down, and Kurt fought the urge to push his chin up with his finger.

"Kurt…I don't think I'm gay. I mean, I've never really thought about it until now. I've always liked girls. But when I think about this one guy, I just feel like I want to be around him all the time." He was being just vague enough, Kurt thought, so that he didn't embarrass himself with Kurt. It was kind of sweet, actually.

"Well, do you think this person knows how you feel?"

"No, not at all. I've actually been kind of flirting with someone else to see if he's interested...you know, see if he gets jealous or something". Hmm…maybe it's Finn or Puck that he's got feelings for. Good luck with those two.

"If you're sure about your feelings, Sam, then maybe you should talk to the person, and see what the reaction is. I mean, don't be surprised if you get shot down, because it happens to everyone. But I say let him know. Give him the option of saying yes."

"It's not that easy. He goes to another school."

"Ok. Well, I have a relationship like that. It can work."

"And he's already with someone that's a friend of mine."

Kurt did a mental checklist and tried to narrow down whom they were talking about. And then it dawned on him as he thought of the picture in his locker.

"Sam…don't say it…"

"Kurt, I'm sorry…but I think I'm in love with Blaine".


	20. No Other Love

"I'm sorry…what did you just say?" Kurt had heard him, but needed to hear it again to make it real in his head.

"I think that I'm in love with Blaine. I didn't mean it to happen. It just…did".

"Sam, you do realize that Blaine and I are a couple, right? Not just "kind of a couple" like most of our weird little group is at one time or another, but in a committed relationship. For good. You _get_ that, right?"

"Kurt, I know. I don't know what it is. I just think about him all the time. The few times that we've all been together…it just…I don't know…I want to be with him."

"But you can't. You know that." Kurt was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the way this conversation was going. Then he realized—is this how Blaine felt when he thought that Sam wanted _him_?

"I'm really sorry Kurt. I mean, he's such an amazing guy. He's kind, he's funny, he's so good looking…"

"All of which I am completely aware. The thing that you left out is that he is mine." That sounded so territorial that Kurt was even shocked as soon as it came out of his mouth.

"Sam, I think we're done here." Kurt started to walk away, not sure exactly where he was heading.

"Kurt, wait…I'm sorry…" The response Sam received was Kurt throwing up his hand in a dismissive manner, letting him know that the conversation was over.

He felt his head spinning. What on earth just happened? This went from Kurt going to let Sam down easy to him sounding like a jealous…what? He needed to talk to Blaine, and soon. He texted him as soon as he was alone.

_Hey, we need to talk. Coffee after school? XOXO K-_

_Hey, beautiful. Everything OK?_

_I'm not sure. I'll catch you up on everything later. Love you. xoxo K-_

_Miss you. And love you more. Later. xoxo_

Kurt wondered if he should give Blaine a head's up on what had just occurred, but he was still shaking, and wanted to have a clear head when he spoke to him about this.

He was heading towards his next class when he saw Finn coming down the hall.

"Oh my God, we need to talk right now." Kurt grabbed Finn's arm and pulled him down the hallway to the guy's bathroom. He looked under each of the stalls to make sure they were alone. "You are NOT going to believe this".

"Dude, what's wrong. You're all…twitchy".

"Sam doesn't have a thing for me. He just told me that he thinks he's in love with Blaine".

Finn stared at Kurt for a moment, and then realized his brother was serious. "So Sam is gay?"

"I don't think he even knows himself. But he's completely infatuated with my boyfriend, and he needs to get over it quickly." Kurt felt himself getting defensive again, and tried to calm down.

"Have you talked to Blaine about this?"

"Not yet. We're getting together after school. Finn, what am I going to do?"

"Why do you have to do anything, Kurt? It's Sam's problem, not yours. You know that Blaine isn't interested in anyone but you. I mean, you guys are practically married already. Why worry?"

"I just am. You know, when we thought it was me that Sam was crushing on, and I kept blowing off how Blaine felt about it…it doesn't feel so good now that I'm on the receiving end".

The door opened, and they both turned to see Puck standing there. "Hello gents. Wow…why the long faces".

"Sam loves Blaine". Finn just blurted it out. And there it hung, in the air between the three of them.

"So? Blaine is kind of a looker." Puck was trying to be funny, but it fell flat with his current audience.

"This is so not funny. And what if Blaine comes here? What am I going to…"

"Kurt, you need to settle down. You're getting all squeaky".

"Great…twitchy and squeaky. Such a catch." Kurt almost felt like he was in the midst of a panic attack.

"But you're already caught. And apparently Blaine likes what he has. So relax." Puck walked over to Kurt and put his arm around him. "You want me to kick Sam's ass for you? Because I will".

Kurt thought hard for a moment. "Yes. Yes I do."

* * *

><p>As he was driving to meet Blaine, Kurt again felt a pounding in his chest that has only ever happened to him when he's been afraid. That tight feeling where you can't breath, and can feel every beat of your heart. What if he tells Blaine that Sam has feelings for him, and Blaine is interested? No, come on Kurt, that isn't going to happen. He loves you. You are partners in every way possible. Don't freak out.<p>

He got to the coffee shop before Blaine, and ordered their usual. Just as he was sitting down, Blaine walked in. He walked up to Kurt and gave him a quick kiss before sitting across from him. "You do know, Kurt, if we sat in a booth we'd be that much closer to each other".

"But then I couldn't look at that gorgeous face of yours."

"So what's up? Your text sounded ominous. Everything ok?" He put his hands on the table and reached across for Kurt's.

"Well, I have a bit of a bombshell to drop on you." He hesitated…then spit it out. "I spoke to Sam today, and it seems that I am not the object of his affection. You are."

Blaine let out a nervous laugh, and then looked at Kurt. "You're serious?"

"Like a heart attack serious." Kurt was trying to read Blaine's expression, but couldn't.

"Well, did you tell him that's unfortunate, because you and I are together? I mean, he knows this. He's spent a lot of time helping us. Why would he think I would even consider not being with you?"

"I don't know. And I want to apologize to you if I didn't take your concerns about him with me seriously. I don't like how I feel right now."

"Feel about what, baby? You have nothing to worry about." Blaine looked at Kurt's face, and realized that he was on the verge of tears that he was fighting to hold back..

"Hey…you can't honestly tell me, with what we have, that this is even a concern in that pretty head of yours. It's a non-issue. Come on, Kurt. What _we_ have, no one can touch, ok?"

"Ok."

"That didn't sound very convincing. Are you…jealous?"

Kurt began to fidget in his seat. "It just seemed easier to deal with before…when it wasn't you that he wants".

"Wait…are you upset because he wants me, or doesn't want you?" Blaine was becoming confused by Kurt's reaction to this whole thing.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. How was your day?"

"No, no. We agreed. We talk about everything together so that this doesn't become a problem. Now talk."

Kurt took a deep breath, and as much as he tried to fight it, felt a tear fall down his cheek. Blaine reached over and brushed it away. "Kurt, what on earth is going through your head? For all intents and purposes, we are engaged. To be married. Remember?" Blaine held Kurt's hand up and looked at his ring.

"I remember. But don't be surprised if Sam approaches you. Before I realized that it was you he was talking about, I told him that he should tell the person, and give them the chance to say yes. On a scale of 1 to 10 for idiocy, I'm resting safely at a 15."

"It was good advice, Kurt."

"Gee, you think?" He tried to smile, but instead felt sick to his stomach.

"But I don't get it. I mean, he looked like he was getting all flirty with you. What was that all about?"

"Oh, well, see that was to try to get you jealous, in case there were any feelings between the two of you. He was testing the waters, I suppose".

"Well, we'll have to set him straight, so to speak". Blaine tilted his head to look at Kurt, and tugged at his hands. "Hey…no worries, ok?"

Kurt nodded. "I so wish we were alone right now".

"Have anything particular in mind? Because we do have two perfectly good vehicles out there, and I know for a fact that the back seat in at least one of them is very romantic".

"I remember".

Blaine looked around, and then whispered "And…I don't see a cop within peeking distance".

Kurt laughed out loud, and then pressed his foot against Blaine's under the table.

"Are you trying to get fresh with me, Kurt?"

* * *

><p>Before they parted ways, Blaine grabbed Kurt and held him tight, rocking him in his arms. "I need you to not worry about this, love. We'll get it resolved soon enough. Be careful heading back, and I'll talk to you tonight." He kissed him, and then grabbed his face in his hands. "I am so in love with you, Kurt Hummel".<p>

Kurt got into his car, and tried to concentrate on something else. He thought about the coming weekend with Blaine, and the "sing off" tomorrow. He wasn't sure who he would be paired against, but whoever it was, he was confident he would hold his own. That being said, he hoped it wasn't Rachel.

Finn was waiting in the kitchen when he walked into the house. "Did you talk to Blaine?"

"I did. It's ok. I'm worrying for nothing."

"I told you, bro. You two have one of those movie romances. Like Bert and Ernie. "

Kurt shook his head. "Thanks…I think".

He went down to his room, and was thinking about his song choice when his phone chirped at him-

_Sam just sent me a text. He wants to get together_.

Kurt felt his heart start to race as he typed back as fast as he could.

_You told him no, I presume?_

No response. This can't be good. Then-

_I told him I would meet him for coffee_.

_Kurt?_

_I'm here. _

_You trust me, right?_

_I trust you._

_Good. Once I'm finished with him, I'm coming over._

_Ok. _

_Have I told you today that I love you?_

_You have._

_Good. Because I do. Forever._

_See you in a bit. XOXO_

_Blaine?_

_Yes?_

_I love you more. XOXO_

_Impossible. _

Kurt flopped onto his bed and buried his head in the pillows. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Blaine knocked at the door, and Burt let him in. "Hey kid, what's new?"<p>

"Not too much. Which game do you have on?"

"Watching the Yankees spank the Red Sox. You in?"

"Maybe in a little bit. I just need to talk to my guy for a few minutes. Tell Finn to save me a snack."

Blaine opened Kurt's door, and walked down the stairs. He smiled as he saw his boyfriend sound asleep. He didn't want to wake him, so he just pulled the covers up over him, and scribbled a quick note for him, which he left near his laptop. He gave him a light kiss on the cheek, and whispered, "Sweet dreams, beautiful" before he turned the light off near his bed.

When he got to the top of the steps, he closed the door quietly. "He's asleep. Move over, Finn".

"Yeah, he was all worked up today about this Sam thing."

Burt looked at the two boys. "What Sam thing?"

"Sam is in love with Blaine". Always the bearer of good news, Blaine thought to himself with a smile.

"Sam is gay too? How do I miss these things right in front of my face." Burt kind of shook his head, and then looked at Blaine. "So why is Kurt upset?"

"Well, he's feeling a little jealous…with no reason mind you. I really wish that son of yours would get through his head that I honor what we have, and there is no one that will ever come between us. He just gets so…I don't know…emotional". Blaine felt exasperated. "I told him that I was getting together with Sam tonight, to make it clear to him that there was no possibility of he and I ever being anything more than friends. Sam accepted that. I mean, he really had no choice."

"Glee is going to be weird tomorrow. We're having a "sing off" to see who gets the next solo. Kurt is usually running all over singing his song choices, but I haven't heard anything from him."

"You know, I need to find out some information about transferring to McKinley. What if I come in and surprise Kurt? I love watching him sing anyway, so I can do what I need to do, then come to class. Finn, can you let Mr. Shuester know? But don't tell Kurt".

"We'll be in the auditorium for class tomorrow. So if you just sneak in, Kurt won't see you until after he performs. He'll love you being there."

"Sounds like a plan. I'm off. Please tell Kurt I was here, ok?"

"Will do. Be careful going home".

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up with a start. It was morning. He jumped up to check his phone. No messages from Blaine. Wait. He said he was coming by after he talked to Sam. But he didn't. Kurt sat back down on his bed. Oh my God, he thought…it's happening…<p>

He walked upstairs to find every else was gone. "Finn?" he called out, but there was no answer. He checked his phone again. Nothing. As soon as the sleep was out of his eyes, he texted Blaine-

_I missed you last night. Where were you? K-_

Ten minutes went by, with no response. By now Kurt had a hundred different scenarios playing in his head, all of them ending with Blaine spending the night with Sam. Ugh…that was crazy…he trusted Blaine. But something—or someone—kept him from coming to Kurt last night. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

He showered, got dressed, and grabbed his backpack as he headed out the door.

The "sing off" was today, and he was having a hard time focusing on the lyrics that he's been toying with for a week now. Why isn't Blaine answering him?

The first two classes were a blur. Kurt kept checking his phone, waiting for any word from Blaine. He tried to text him again-

_I'm getting worried. Everything ok?_

Third period was Glee, and it was awkward to say the least. Finn was busy talking to Rachel, Puck was tugging on Artie's wheelchair, and Sam was sitting in a corner looking dejected. He looked up when Kurt walked in, but there was no acknowledgement. Before Kurt could sit down, Mr. Shue told everyone to head over to the auditorium.

The only light was on the stage, so Blaine was able to walk in without being noticed. He sat towards the back, so that no one would see him yet. He loved seeing Kurt perform. And now that he'd talked to the office about the transfer situation, he and Kurt can start planning.

"Ok, first up…Sam versus Kurt." Kurt looked down at the floor. Was he kidding?

"Who's up first, guys?"

"I'll go." Sam said before Kurt could open his mouth. "My song is "Run to You" by Bryan Adams. He handed his music over, and as he turned around, someone opened the door in the back, and it was long enough for him to see Blaine sitting there. The music started, and Sam moved to the front of the stage, looking directly at Blaine.

_She says her love for me could never die_  
><em>But that'd change if she ever found out about you and I<em>  
><em>Oh - but her love is cold<em>  
><em>It wouldn't hurt her if she didn't know, 'cause...<em>

_When it gets too much_  
><em>I need to feel your touch<em>

_I'm gonna run to you_  
><em>I'm gonna run to you<em>  
><em>Cause when the feelin's right I'm gonna run all night<em>  
><em>I'm gonna run to you<em>  
><em>She's got a heart of gold she'd never let me down<em>  
><em>But you're the one that always turns me on<em>  
><em>You keep me comin' 'round<em>

Kurt made his way to the side of the stage, waiting to go on. He looked up as Sam was finishing his song, and as he looked towards the door opening in the back again, he saw Blaine. And he saw Sam singing to him.

_I know her love is true_  
><em>But it's so damn easy makin' love to you<em>

_I got my mind made up_  
><em>I need to feel your touch<em>

_I'm gonna run to you_  
><em>Ya - I'm gonna run to you<em>  
><em>Cause when the feelin's right I'm gonna stay all night<em>

_I'm gonna run to you._

"You're up, Kurt." He looked at Mr. Shue blankly, and then back at Blaine, who was moving up a few rows. Had he just watched his boyfriend being serenaded by someone else with a song about cheating?

Kurt walked up to the microphone, and looked up at Blaine, who was smiling at him with his hand over his heart. Kurt wasn't using any music. It was all him.

"What's your song, Kurt?" He looked at Mr. Shue again ."Without You" by Harry Nilsson".

"A classic. Excellent choice."

Kurt had his head down as he started to sing. His heart was so heavy he didn't think he would be able to catch his breath.

_No, I can't forget this evening  
>Or your face as you were leaving<br>But I guess that's just the way the story goes  
>You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows<br>Yes, it shows_

_No, I can't forget tomorrow_  
><em>When I think of all my sorrow<em>  
><em>When I had you there but then I let you go<em>  
><em>And now it's only fair that I should let you know<em>  
><em>What you should know<em>

_I can't live if living is without you…_

Kurt stopped suddenly, and when he looked up, tears were forming. "I'm sorry…I can't do this…" he said as he ran from the stage, knocking over the microphone.

"Kurt! Wait!" Blaine ran from his seat towards the stage, up the steps to where he thought Kurt had gone. He didn't see him, but he heard him, and it broke his heart.

"Baby, where are you?" He looked around backstage, and finally saw him. He was sitting up against the wall, his knees pulled up, and he was sobbing into his crossed arms. He knelt down in front of him. "Kurt, what's wrong?" No answer, just tears. "Sweetie, look at me." Blaine tried to pull Kurt's head up to look at him, and he resisted. "You sounded amazing. But why such a sad song?" Kurt finally lifted his head, and the look in those blue eyes just about leveled Blaine. "What's happening here?" The rest of the group came backstage, worried about Kurt. "Guys, we need a few minutes, ok?" They grumbled, but gave them their privacy.

Blaine sat on the floor in front of Kurt, and put his hands on Kurt's knees. "Won't you talk to me? Are you upset that I came to see you sing? You know how much I miss that, right?" Kurt just stared straight ahead, looking past Blaine. Sam was standing there, taking this all in.

Blaine turned to see what Kurt was looking at, and then everything clicked into place. The song Sam chose, the fact that it looked like he was singing it to Blaine. He pointed at Sam, and gestured for him to come over to where he and Kurt were sitting. "You—come here".

Kurt tried to get up, and Blaine pushed him back down. "NO…you stay where you are. I want you to hear this."

"Sam, I'm going to say this again, just in case you didn't believe me last night. I love Kurt. End of story. He and I will be together forever. I told you that we could be friends, but if this is the kind of game you're going to play, then there won't even be that. It's your choice. But don't you ever think for a second that there is anyone I would even give a second glance. Not when I have Kurt. Now if you will excuse us, I have a boyfriend that needs my attention."

"Kurt, I'm sorry. That was…" Blaine cut Sam off. "I said leave. Now."

Blaine sat next to Kurt, and put his arm around him. "You, my love, need to settle down. Didn't I tell you there was nothing to worry about?" He put his head against Kurt's shoulder, and took his hand in his.

"I waited for you last night." Kurt looked over at Blaine, who used his thumb to wipe away the tears that were lining Kurt's face.

"You were sleeping. And looking adorable. It took all of my strength not to crawl right in there and do unthinkable things to you. But your father and brother were right upstairs. Would have been a little awkward if they had heard us, don't you think?".

"I texted you. You didn't answer."

"I couldn't. I didn't have my phone. When I left your house last night, it must have fallen out of my pocket onto the couch. Finn has it. Didn't they tell you I was there last night?"

"No one was home when I got up this morning. I was alone."

"I left you a note near your laptop. Didn't you see it?" Of course he hadn't, Blaine thought to himself after he said it. If he had, there wouldn't have been all this.

Finn walked up to them, and knelt down in front of Kurt. "You ok, buddy?"

Blaine answered for him. "He's perfect. But Finn, the next time I ask you to give him a message, could you maybe, you know, do it? I can't have him getting all worked up like this for no reason".

"My bad, Dude. Sorry." He patted Kurt on the head, and got up from the floor. Blaine held his hand out. "Phone, please." Finn handed it to him, and started to walk away.

"Oh, by the way, Puck went to kick Sam's ass. I thought you'd like to know".

"And this, my love, is why I'm coming to McKinley. Someone needs to keep order in this group".

"Wait…what?"

You heard me. My parents and I just have to work out some of the details, but it's basically a done deal. Blaine stood up, and then put his hand out for Kurt. "Come on, beautiful. Get up."

"Where are we going?" Kurt took Blaine's hand, and kept it there as they walked off the stage.

"I can't tell you. I need to show you."


	21. That's What Friends Are For

Blaine basically dragged Kurt down the McKinley hall, heading towards the parking lot.

"But, Blaine, wait…school isn't over yet. I still have one class."

"No, school is definitely over for today. We have something important to do."

"Can't you just give me a hint? Blaine…stop for a minute."

Blaine stopped, and turned to Kurt.

"I need you to trust me that this is going to be worth missing class for."

"You follow me in your car, and we'll stop and drop it off before we head out again."

Kurt was becoming anxious about this "surprise" that Blaine had for him, although he was enjoying seeing how excited Blaine is to show it to him.

After what seemed like forever in separate cars, Kurt pulled into his driveway, and then began to walk over to Blaine's car. Blaine jumped out to get the door for him, and before he closed it, he leaned in to give Kurt a quick kiss. "Be right back, love". He ran to the front door, lifted the mat, and grabbed something from underneath. As he started running back to the car, and Kurt, Blaine had a huge smile on his face. This is going to be good, Kurt thought to himself.

"So where are we going?" Kurt tried to get more information from Blaine as he buckled himself in.

"Shhh…no more questions. Just wait a few more minutes, ok."

Kurt sighed, the leaned back in his seat. "You're being mean".

"I know."

After driving only about a mile or so, Blaine turned in to the parking lot of a small apartment complex that Kurt had passed almost every day on his way to school.

"Blaine…what are we doing here?"

He didn't answer Kurt, but the smile was still there on his face. He found a numbered parking spot, and pulled in.

"We might be in someone's spot. They seem to be reserved for residents".

"I know. Which is why I'm fine just where I am"

Kurt looked at him with confusion all over his face. "I don't understand".

"Come on. I have something to show you". Blaine got out of the car, walked over to Kurt's door, and opened it for him. He took Kurt's hand, and they walked towards one of the buildings.

Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out a key that he had taken from under the doormat at Kurt's house. Putting it into the lock, he turned it slowly, and before he pushed the door open, he put his arm around Kurt's waist, and told him to close his eyes.

Blaine pulled him inside the door, and closed it quickly. "Ok, open your eyes." Kurt did as he was told, just looking around him.

"Welcome Home, Kurt". Blaine gave Kurt a smile that made his legs weaken.

"I don't understand. Is this…?"

"We can move in any time after the 15th".

"But how can we afford to do this. I don't have any money".

Blaine led Kurt over to the sliding glass door, and pulled him down onto the carpet. "It's a funny thing, really. You would be surprised how amenable my parents were to me moving in here when the realized how much they would be saving with me not going to Dalton. It's almost like their "thank you" gift to me."

Kurt's head was reeling trying to take in everything. "Please explain a little slower. Your boyfriend here is having a hard time processing all of this."

"I spoke to your Dad and Carole, and told them that I wanted to transfer as soon as possible. I can't be away from you, Kurt. It's just too hard. But I needed to meet the residency requirement for McKinley, which I obviously didn't living at home. I talked to my parents, laid it out in terms that they can best appreciate, which is financial, and while they aren't happy with me going to what they consider a "regular" school, they were elated about how much money they would be saving, even with paying the rent on an apartment for me. For us."

Kurt just continued to look at him, speechless. This was a dream come true.

"And let me tell you something, Kurt. Your parents are a huge part of the reason that this is happening. They helped to find this place, and agreed to act as my guardians if my parents aren't around. Which will basically be all the time. So, my darling Kurt…don't you have _anything_ to say?"

"Show me around," was all that came out. Blaine pulled him up, and began the tour.

"Well, first and foremost, we have an actual kitchen. We can wake up in the morning, start the coffee, and crawl back into bed. And over here is the bedroom, with its glorious view of the parking lot."

"Is that…a walk-in closet?" Kurt let go of Blaine's hand, and stepped into the large closet in their bedroom. "I think I'm feeling a little faint".

Blaine laughed. "But it gets better".

"What could be better than a walk-in closet? I thought you knew me."

"One and a half bathrooms, Kurt. One…and a half. There's a whole half room that can be dedicated to your products and cleansing routine. It's enough to bring tears to my eyes."

Kurt pointed to his own eyes. "You see these? Tears of joy."

"Now it might take a while to get the place furnished, but here is my gift to you, Kurt. You can decorate it however you want. I want you to have fun with this. And I want…"

He had lost him. Kurt was bouncing around from room to room, talking so fast that Blaine didn't understand half of it. And the moment was perfect. He sat down on the carpet, back against the wall, and just watched, smiling. Kurt would run out of steam eventually. He would just wait it out. Happily.

* * *

><p>"It's fantastic. And Blaine said I could decorate any way I want. So I'll need some help. And, I need to be frugal. My budget is, shall I say, minimal".<p>

"Wait, I have a great idea! Let's have an apartment warming party!" Rachel was jumping up and down in that way she gets when she's excited.

"That's a great idea. That way, you can get a lot of the things you need without much money. Let's do it." Mercedes threw her arms around Kurt. "I'm so happy for you guys. Such fun."

"I don't know. Isn't asking for gifts a little…crass?"

"You can register at Bed, Bath and Beyond…" Rachel knew which of Kurt's buttons to push.

"Ok, superb idea. Let's do it."

"Good. Let's grab the rest of the girls and we'll head over there after school."

Kurt ran off to his next class, but was barely able to concentrate. He wanted to sit down with his parents tonight and thank them for everything they've done for he and Blaine. Most parents would not be so accepting of all of this. He really was lucky in so many ways.

"Hey Kurt". His thoughts were broken by a familiar voice.

"Hi David. How are you?" Kurt didn't feel completely comfortable alone with him, but the fear he had before was no longer there.

"I'm ok. So listen…I understand that your boyfriend is going to be coming here."

"True". Kurt waited for some crude remark, but there was none.

"That's good. I'm glad you'll have him here. You make a good couple".

Kurt was stunned. "David…thank you for that. Maybe sometime we can all get together and hang out."

"Yeah, maybe sometime. Later, Kurt".

Kurt watched as David Karofsky walked down the hall, and he felt bad that he was still harboring such a heavy secret. One day he will come out, and Kurt hoped it was soon. He deserved to be as happy as he and Blaine are.

As he turned around, he walked right into Sam. Kurt didn't say anything, and tried to walk around him. Sam put his hand on Kurt's arm, to try to stop him from walking away.

"Sam, please don't touch me."

"I'm really sorry, Kurt. I'm sorry about the business with Blaine, about the song the other day…about everything."

"Ok. Thank you for saying that. But I don't think I'm ready for us to be…"

"I know. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry." Sam nodded at Kurt, and walked away. He felt bad. He had considered Sam a friend and ally. Now, he didn't know what to think. Time will tell, he supposed.

As he walked into class, his phone buzzed.

"_Rachel said we're having an apartment warming party. Don't you and Blaine have heat in your new place? And where do we buy it for you?"—Brittany_

Kurt chuckled out loud. His friends were strange, all right. It was what he loved most about them.

They got into Kurt's car and headed towards Bed, Bath and Beyond. "Ok, now here's the deal. I want the place to look fun, but classy. Agreed?"

"Agreed". Quinn had a note pad, and was writing down ideas that everyone had.

"What color scheme are we going with, Kurt?" Tina loved taking about this stuff with Kurt.

"I'm thinking something classic, like black and white…or burgundy and white. But I want the bedroom to be completely romantic. Did I tell you we have one and a half bathrooms?"

"Only about a hundred times".

They got to the store, and pick up a few hand scanners so that they could build Kurt and Blaine's wish list. Every few minutes, someone would hold something up and ask "what about this, Kurt?" He would either give the thumbs up sign, or one of his classic looks of disgust. They had a great time, running all throughout the store, and by the time they were done they had put together a pretty big registry.

"I just thought of something. Where are we going to have this? I mean, we don't have any furniture yet, and we're not moving in until the 15th."

Rachel chimed in immediately. "My place. We have the big basement, and my dads won't mind."

"Deal. But Rachel…this time…please don't be kissing on my man. You know how I get about that." Kurt put his arm around her, and the group of friends made their way out of the store.

* * *

><p>Kurt got home and went immediately down to his room, carrying color swatches he'd picked up. Finn popped his head in.<p>

"Listen, family meeting tonight. Burt said about 7 o'clock. Any chance Blaine can be here? He is family now."

Hearing Finn say that warmed Kurt's heart. "Let me ask him. It should be fine".

Kurt grabbed his phone to text Blaine.

_Family meeting tonight. Can you make it?_

_Whose family?_

_Yours, silly. About 7pm. Come for dinner first. Love you. K-_

_Love you right back. I'll be there. xoxo_

After finishing his homework, Kurt asked Carol if she needed any help with dinner. "Blaine is coming for dinner. Is that ok?"

"Of course it is. So…pretty excited about the apartment?"

"I am. And Mom…I can't thank you guys enough for all of your help. I do have the coolest parents walking the earth." He put his arm around her, and kissed the top of her head. He liked calling her Mom. It fit.

"Kurt, all we ever want is for you to be happy. You're such a good kid. Now, I do want to say this before your Dad gets home. He really is struggling with you and Blaine moving in together completely. It's hard for him…to see his son grow up so quickly. You really are so young still…but we're here to support you, and Blaine, with whatever you need."

"I know that."

"So let's get the table set. We'll want to eat as soon as your Dad gets home"

Blaine arrived around 6pm, carrying a box from a local bakery. "I brought dessert. I hope you don't mind". He handed the box to Carol, who gave him a welcoming hug. "That was very thoughtful, Blaine. Thank you. Kurt is down in his room. I'll call you up when dinner is ready."

He bounced down the stairs, and started laughing immediately when he saw Kurt. " Good God, Kurt. What on earth are you wearing?"

Kurt had his arms outstretched, and each one had four different pieces of fabric hanging from them. "I'm trying to get curtain ideas. Don't laugh. This is serious."

"You look like a scarecrow. A stylish one, I'll give you that."

"Which do you like?" Kurt held his arms still so that Blaine could take a look.

"Well…I like this one"-he reached for a sheer avocado colored panel. "And, I like this one"-this time a deep purple one. "And…I especially like this one" as he leaned in to kiss Kurt. "Yeah, this one is my favorite". He kissed him again, this time sliding the fabric from Kurt's arms. "Give me these". He tossed them onto the bed, and then wrapped his arms around Kurt.

"We need a bed". Kurt looked at Blaine, wondering about such a random statement.

"Well, we do have a shower. That's worked for us in the past". Kurt took Blaine's hand and started to pull him towards the bathroom.

"No, not for…sigh…not for _that_, Kurt. For the apartment."

"Oh. Sorry." Kurt felt his cheeks go red.

"Don't be sorry. We can discuss that later. But we need to start thinking about the bigger things for the apartment." Kurt's face turned sad. "What's wrong?"

"I want _our_ bed. I don't want to sleep anywhere else with you."

"Well, I'm sure my parents won't have a problem with me taking it. But don't you want something new?"

"That bed means the world to me. Please?"

Blaine hugged Kurt. "Of course we can use that bed. I have to tell you, every time I think of it, and you in it, it gets me kind of worked up". Blaine winked at him, and then pulled him over to the bed, where they crawled up onto the pillows.

"So what's the big meeting about tonight?"

"Not sure. But get used to them. This family does everything by committee."

"Trust me, Kurt. That's a nice change for me."

* * *

><p>They ate dinner, with Carol and Burt watching the three boys talk animatedly about their day, the trip to the store with the girls, the apartment, the football team, Glee and, of course, the upcoming Prom.<p>

"Ok, guys. Let's go sit in the living room. I'll put the coffee on, and we'll have some dessert in there." Carol corralled everyone out of the kitchen. She smiled to herself as she looked at them all. When she married Burt, she had one son. Now, she had three. And she couldn't be happier.

The boys sat on the couch, and Burt was in his chair. "Ok, so I just want to go over a couple of the ground rules with this apartment business. Finn, why do you have that look on your face?"

"Blaine is touching me".

"I'm not touching you. We're sitting next to each other. Why don't you move over a little? I think you're the one touching me".

Kurt leaned forward to look at Finn. "Stop touching Blaine." He put his hand on Blaine's knee.

"Eww…make them stop touching each other. Jeez."

"Ok, for the next 10 minutes, I don't want anybody touching anyone else. Got it? I want all hands within view". Burt shook his head. "Now, there are going to be a lot of changes coming up for this family. Carol, are you coming?"

She walked into the living room, and laughed at the three boys, all sitting on the couch with their hands in their laps.

"As I was saying…Blaine, you'll be moving in to the apartment on the 15th, and then starting at McKinley the next morning. Now, your parents have paid the rent for a year. But that's it. You two." he pointed to Blaine and Kurt, "are going to have to be careful with things like the electric and any other monthly bills that are not covered in the rent. Your parents are giving you an allowance from your trust fund, to be used for any other necessities like clothes, etc. And we'll help where we can, but this is grown up stuff, so I need you two to act accordingly. And—the grades need to stay up, or we're going to have to reevaluate the situation."

"And…no loud parties." Finn laughed out loud. "Burt, have you met these two? They are about as wild as watching paint dry. Heh."

Blaine looked at Finn. "That was harsh".

Burt continued-"Anyway, I just want this to be a positive experience for everyone. Deal?"

"Burt, I really want to thank you, for everything. I know that you've given Kurt and I a lot of latitude, and I know that we both appreciate it."

"You're a good kid, Blaine. And you make Kurt happy. I can't ask for anything more than that."

Finn had other things on his mind. "Where is the dessert?"

* * *

><p>The day of the apartment warming party arrived, and Kurt was all wound up about it. He loved a good party, but when the festivities revolved around him—well, he and Blaine—so much the better. Everyone was meeting at Rachel's place at 7pm. Each person was assigned some type of food to bring, and Blaine and Kurt were told not to worry about bringing anything but themselves.<p>

Noticeably absent was Sam. The girls didn't think, in light of recent developments, that it would be good to have him there. He understood. But it still felt weird with one of their group missing.

Everyone piled their gifts on one table, and the food was spread throughout the room. It was decorated in some of Kurt's favorite colors, and he nodded approvingly as he looked around. "It's really nice of you to do this for us, guys. Thank you". Kurt held his arms out for a group hug, and was almost knocked down by their enthusiasm. Blaine watched from across the room, and smiled at Kurt when he looked over at him.

There was a lot of chatter about school, music, and of course the Sam situation. The food was passed around, and everyone was laughing and having a good time while toasting their guests of honor.

"Ok…time for entertainment!" Rachel turned the spotlights on where the makeshift stage was, and rolled out the karaoke machine. Kurt felt a little twinge as he remembered she and Blaine singing together up there. It's in the past, he thought. Let it go. "Here's the rule…we get to pick the song each person performs. And no backing out! Who's first?"

"I'll go first", Puck volunteered. "What's my poison?"

"Oohh…do "Only the Good Die Young" Lauren wasn't here when you sang that the first time." Everyone clapped at the song choice, with Brittany whistling louder than anyone. They all looked at her. "What?"

Puck jumped up onto the stage and did his song. When it was over, he took a bow, and then moved his finger around until it landed on Santana. "You're next".

"Ok. What's my song?"

"How about "Valerie"? You sound amazing singing that." Quinn had never really been close with Santana, but she did appreciate her musical gifts.

After Santana finished, she pointed to Blaine. "Ok, Warbler, it's your turn".

"What song? You guys haven't seen me do a whole lot."

From the corner of the room, he heard Kurt's voice. "How about "Teenage Dream?". It was a song that meant so much to both of them, and Blaine nodded. "OK, Kurt. Just for you."

Everyone was clapping along as Blaine sang what really was his first love song to Kurt. At the end, he took an exaggerated bow. He really did enjoy spending time with this, his new group of friends. He raised his hand, and pointed to Kurt. "You're turn".

"Ohhh…I know the _perfect_ song for Kurt." said Tina. She looked at Brittany, who nodded and jumped up and down. "Yes! It's the perfect one." They both looked at Kurt.

He started to shake his head quickly from side to side. "Oh no. Not that."

"No backing out, remember?"

"I beg you. Not that song."

Blaine was intrigued. He leaned in to Finn, and asked what song they were talking about.

"Dude, you just have to see it to believe it". He patted Blaine on the back. "Come on. You'll need to be sitting for this."

Brittany and Tina pulled Kurt up to the stage, while he still shook his head. Finally, he resigned himself to the fact that after today, Blaine's opinion of him will no longer have any semblance of respect to it.

He stood at the center of the stage, with the girls on either side of him. "Ok, stand back everyone…we don't want anyone getting hurt."

Kurt looked up and with a forced smile, said "Thanks, Artie".

Rachel started the music, and Blaine was transfixed as the opening lines of "Single Ladies" began to play.

Kurt did a perfect rendition of the song, with all of the dance moves. Blaine wanted to look at Kurt's face, but he couldn't take his eyes away from his hips, and the way they were moving. It was so sexy. Dirty, even. He felt a little bit of an ache below the waist as he watched Kurt thrusting, and doing moves he didn't even think he knew. It was…hot. And although he was having a great time, he couldn't wait to get him alone.

Finn nudged him. "Dude, your mouth is hanging open. It's not attractive".

"Sorry." Kurt finished the song, and looked down at Blaine and shrugged his shoulders. He blushed as Blaine mouthed the word "hot" to him. Yeah, they were going to need to be alone. Soon.

After everyone had their turn, they opened gifts for their new place, and sat around talking, mostly about Blaine's transfer. "So you'll be joining New Directions right away, no?" Rachel asked the question they were all wondering.

"Of course he will. He's one of us now." Santana patted Blaine on the head.

The party wound down, and before everyone left, Kurt and Blaine thanked everyone for always being there for them. Another group hug followed. As they walked up the stairs from the basement, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand. "You have no idea what I'm going to do to you when we get back to our place".

"It's a long ride, you know." Kurt looked at Blaine and felt chills down his spine.

Blaine looked at his watch. "Are your parent's home?"

"No. Friday night is bowling night. They'll be out till about 1am. It's their big date night."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand. "Let's go."

"Wait…what about Finn?"

"I'll be right back." Blaine ran back in to Rachel's house, and within a few minutes came running back out again.

"What did you tell him?"

"I gave him my debit card and told him to take everyone to the diner for dessert."

"I think you may have single handedly eased the national debt."

"I figure we have about two hours, Kurt. Do you want to stand here talking"?

They got into the car, and drove—quickly—to Kurt's house. They began fumbling with each others clothes before they had even gotten through the front door. "Kurt, I almost jumped you while you were still on that stage. Where did you learn to move like that? God, it was hot. I bow to your sexiness".

"I thought it would be embarrassing doing that song in front of you. But I guess…" Kurt's words were cut off by Blaine's mouth on his. He pulled Kurt down to his room and locked the door. "Get undressed, Kurt. I would do it, but I have the urge to rip everything off of you, and I know you don't want that."

As Kurt undressed, Blaine removed his clothes, all the while not taking his eyes from Kurt. Man, he drove him crazy.

Once Kurt had his clothes off, Blaine pushed him on to the bed. "I'm sorry, Kurt…but I don't feel like foreplay is an option right now…" He turned Kurt around, and put his hands on the headboard. "Kurt, I don't want you ever moving like that for anyone but me." He reached around and wrapped his fingers around Kurt, moving them up and down. He whispered into Kurt's ear, "Promise me, Kurt…I don't want anyone else seeing you move like that." Kurt struggled to say "I promise" as he moaned loudly with each squeeze of Blaine's hand.

"Do you know how sexy you are?" Blaine teased Kurt with his other hand as he spoke.

"No. I don't".

"Yes, you do. Every time you run your tongue across those lips, or bat those lashes as me…every time you whisper something to me, you know exactly what you're doing."

Blaine moved Kurt's legs apart, and was quickly inside of him. Kurt's grip tightened on the headboard as Blaine made love to him with more passion than ever before. Kurt began to breath harder, and as Blaine whispered "I love you" to him, he felt as if he would collapse. Blaine held Kurt's hips…which had driven him wild earlier…and he pushed harder into him. "Oh, God, Kurt…"Blaine moaned loudly, and held Kurt tightly to him as he felt himself empty into him.

They both fell over onto the bed, exhausted. And complete.

"That was…amazing…" Kurt looked at Blaine and smiled.

They both jumped when they heard the front door slam shut. Kurt looked at the clock on his wall. "Why would Finn be back so early?"

He had his answer when he heard his Dad's voice. "Kurt? Are you home?"

They looked at each other, realizing their clothes were across the room.

"We are _so_ dead".


	22. In An Instant

"Oh my God, did you lock the door?" Kurt tried to be as quiet as he could.

"I did. I mean, I think I did. I turned it." Blaine tried to replay in his head what he did with the door. His mind was preoccupied at that moment with getting Kurt naked.

"Did you hear the click? When it locks, there's a clicking noise."

"Kurt, I don't think I heard a click. Oh my God, your father is going to kill me. Go over there and get your clothes on". Blaine watched as Kurt crawled out of bed and sorted around the floor through their clothes.

"Are these tube socks? Honestly, Blaine."

"Kurt, I say this with nothing but love, but will you please shut up and get dressed". Blaine pulled the comforter up over his head.

"Oh, you think that's going to work? What's that lump in your bed, Kurt? Oh, I don't know, Dad…perhaps those missing tube socks that I've been looking for…"

"I'm a going to beat you over the head with those socks in about two seconds, Kurt. We need to think of something, quickly. If that door isn't locked properly, that's the end of life as we know it."

They listened as the footsteps overhead moved from the kitchen and up the stairs. Maybe they were safe. Just to be sure, Kurt started getting dressed in the dark.

"Wait, let me just turn the night stand light on. That way…oh, for crying out loud, Kurt, those are my pants." Kurt looked down and realized that he had put Blaine's pants on. "I'm sorry, I'm not a superhero that can just change clothing at the drop of a hat. And what about you? Are you just going to lie there? You're making yourself an easy target for my Dad, that's for sure."

"Why is it every single time we try something like this anywhere other than our own bed something like this happens?"

"Well, at least my Dad won't ask for ID. No worries there."

"I think that you're enjoying this, Kurt. I really do".

The knob on Kurt's door started to turn, and Blaine jumped up and ran into the bathroom. He was still wrapped in the comforter.

"Dude, are you down here?" Finn. Thank God.

"Finn, I'm over here. Don't turn the big light on." He made his way down the steps slowly, with only the small light on.

"Are you naked?"

"No. Not really. It's a long story."

"Where's Blaine? He's not naked out here too, is he?"

"No, he's not naked out here. Finn, would you grab my shirt over there please and toss it to me?"

"Are these tube socks?"

"Finn…my shirt, please".

"Wait a minute. There are two pairs of underwear here. Which means…." Finn tried to look around in the dark for Blaine, but saw nothing. "Where is he?"

"Finn, you have to swear that you won't tell my Dad. I mean really swear, ok?"

"Come on, Kurt. You know I won't. Where is he?" Finn tried to look under the bed.

"Finn, it's a platform bed. Trust me that he isn't down there."

"This is what happens when you can't control yourselves. You two are like one raging hormone."

"Thank you so much for the insight, Dr. Hudson. Please, Finn…my shirt?"

Finn tossed it to Kurt. "I'm not touching your underwear. You're on your own getting that. Now come on, Kurt. Where's lover boy?"

Kurt pointed silently to the bathroom, knowing that Blaine was probably leaning against the door, horrified.

"Ok, so if all of his clothes are out here, what's happening in there?"

"I believe right now he is wearing my comforter."

"I always felt he had a good sense of fashion".

Kurt put his shirt on, and his underwear, and walked over to the bathroom door, tapping it lightly. "Blaine, it's ok. It's Finn."

"Hey thanks for the food tonight, Blaine. We had fun at the diner. I have your debit card right here…oh, I'm sorry…you don't have your wallet in there, do you?" Finn started laughing loudly, and Kurt pushed him away from the door and put his finger over his mouth the make the "shhhh" gesture.

"I think I'm going to just stay in here until I die of natural causes".

"It's ok. Come on out. I think Dad and Carol went up to bed. It's just the three of us."

Blaine opened the door slowly, and looked at Kurt. He shook his head, not sure whether he should laugh or cry. "Finn, I swear, don't you say a word."

"I don't think I could even find the words to sum up this little situation. I thought you guys were heading out to your place at Blaine's tonight? What happened?"

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other guiltily. "It was his fault," said Blaine, pointing to Kurt.

"What? My fault?"

"Yes, your fault. You and that whole Single Ladies thing. Why did you have to move like that? It was very disarming. And…very sexy…".

"Oh, brother. I need you both to stop right now. How can you get so worked up about him dancing to a song?"

"Well…it was…never mind, Finn. I am never going to another event at Rachel's as long as I live. Nothing good comes from it."

"Oh, I don't know, Blaine. I think something really good came out of it about a half hour ago". Kurt winked at Blaine, which was not lost on Finn.

"You're an animal. And you guys need to be careful. If Burt finds out about this, he's going to freak out. Finish getting dressed, and I'll divert the elders if they come downstairs. Oh, and Blaine…nice socks."

* * *

><p>They were able to get out of the house and into Kurt's car without anyone but Finn noticing. As they headed to their place, Kurt started talking about the apartment.<p>

"I think the only thing we're really going to need for the place is a couch."

"Well, we have the one at the guest house. I can always ask about that too. And I think it's really sweet, Kurt, that you want to keep the same bed. You really are a romantic". Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand, and held it the rest of the ride.

They pulled into the driveway, and just sat in the car for a few minutes.

"I'm going to miss coming here. I mean, I know we'll have our own place, but this…" Kurt couldn't finish the sentence.

"I know. And we can still come here whenever we want. We'll just have to sleep on the floor. Now come on. It's late".

They crawled in to bed and were asleep in a matter of minutes. In the morning, Kurt walked in to the bathroom, where the heart was still on the mirror. He smiled, and then walked to the door, looking at Blaine asleep in their bed. Kurt felt so happy at that moment. Maybe things were going to be ok for them, and he could stop worrying all the time.

He got back into bed, and turned the television on, keeping the volume low. He had fallen asleep again when he heard his phone ringing. It was Finn.

"Hey, just checking on you two. Everything ok?"

"Everything's great, Finn. And thanks for last night. In case I haven't told you, you're a great brother."

"Well, someone has to watch out for you two. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Who was that?"

"Ahh, awake are we, sleeping beauty? It was Finn".

"Does he miss us?"

"He just wanted to make sure we were ok after last night."

"And…are we ok after last night?" Blaine moved closer to Kurt, wrapping his arms around him.

"We are most definitely ok."

* * *

><p>On Saturday, they went to the new apartment, wanting to hang some curtains, and set up some things in the kitchen. They had gotten many nice gifts from their friends, the most important being a coffee maker.<p>

"We forgot to stop at the store for the necessities. Let's go raid my parent's house. Maybe we can get lunch out of the deal."

They drove to Kurt's house, and were pleasantly surprised to see everyone home at the same time on a weekend. They walked in to the living room, and Carol asked if they had eaten lunch yet.

"Funny you should ask…"

"Come on, let me make you something. So what have you boys been up to today?"

"Oh, you know…hanging curtains, admiring my walk in closet…."

"_Our_ walk in closet. I do have some clothes that will also need a home".

Carol put a plate in front of each of them, and left them alone to go back into the living room with Burt and Finn. As usual, they were watching a game.

After they had finished eating, Kurt picked up their plates and put them in the dishwasher. "So what's next?"

"Well, I do think we need to stop at the store and pick up a few essentials. Like coffee, milk, things like that. Let's do that first, and then head back to the apartment for a bit. But not too late, ok? I want to spend a little private time with my boyfriend. I am worried, however, that he is going to leave me for a new relationship with his giant closet".

"Ridiculous. I've heard that he loves you. A lot."

* * *

><p>They said their good-byes to everyone, and Kurt was happy when his Dad handed him some money for their store run. "We should have brought my car. I would have been able to load some of my stuff and bring it to the apartment."<p>

"Next time, Kurt. We don't need to rush". Blaine leaned in for a kiss, and as always Kurt was willing to oblige.

They started getting into the car, and Blaine noticed a few drops on the windshield. "Kurt, go inside and get your jacket. Look at that sky. I don't want you getting all wet."

Kurt looked at him and smiled. Blaine was always looking out for him. He ran towards the house, and to the hall closet to get his coat. Carol was in the kitchen, and she told him to slow down. "Can't. My guy is waiting for me".

Before he could get back outside, they heard it. The horrible sound of metal against metal. They both ran outside, and as Kurt continued heading towards Blaine's car, Carol turned back to run inside to dial 911. "Please hurry. There's been an accident just outside of my driveway."

Burt and Finn ran from the living room to the driveway after they heard the collision, where they saw Blaine's car completely crushed on the passenger side—right where Kurt would have been sitting. Kurt was halfway inside of the driver's side, holding on to Blaine.

"Baby, it's ok. I'm here. Please don't move". He had his seatbelt on, but something looked wrong to Kurt. "Blaine?"

He turned his head towards the voice. "Is Kurt ok?"

"I'm right here, Blaine. I'm ok. Tell me what hurts". Finn ran inside to call 911 again, telling them that they had someone injured at the scene of the accident.

Burt looked around. He didn't see another car. How could someone do this then take off?

"Dad, can we open the door?" Kurt looked at his father with tears in his eyes. Please, Dad?"

Carol reached in and was trying to comfort Blaine by putting her hand on his head. "It's ok, sweetie. We're going to get you out of there as soon as we can, ok?"

"Dad, why isn't he talking?"

"He took quite a hit, Kurt. He's probably in shock. Let's try not to move him too much until the ambulance gets here. Carol, go call his parents and tell them to meet us at the hospital".

Blaine turned his head again towards Kurt, who reached in and grabbed his hand. That's when Kurt saw the small trickle of blood at the corner of Blaine's mouth. "Dad?"

Burt leaned in to take a closer look. In the distance they heard the sound of sirens heading in their direction. "It's ok, son. You'll be out of here in no time."

"I love you, Blaine. It's going to be ok. I promise." Kurt ran his fingertips along Blaine's cheek, where he felt a tear falling. It was too much for Kurt, who dissolved into sobs.

"Kurt?" Blaine spoke softly, as if he couldn't get a full breath.

"I'm right here, baby. I'm not going anywhere". Finn had his hands on Kurt's shoulders. It was all he could do to help.

"It's always been you, Kurt". Blaine closed his eyes, causing Kurt to yell at him.

"NO! Blaine, open your eyes for me. Please."

The ambulance pulled up at the same time the sheriff arrived.

"Where's the other vehicle?"

"When we got out here, there was none. Please tell them to hurry" Burt said, pointing to the ambulance crew.

They brought the stretcher up to the driver's side door. Kurt knew he needed to move, but he didn't want to let go of Blaine's hand. "Please go easy", he sobbed, almost begging. "Don't hurt him".

One crew member got into the back seat and fastened a collar around Blaine's neck to limit movement. "What's his name?"

"It's Blaine. His name is Blaine".

"Blaine, how are you feeling? Can you tell us where it hurts?"

He didn't say anything at first, then used his right hand to point to his chest. "Kurt?"

"I'm right here. Don't talk if it hurts, ok?" Kurt said that, but deep down, all he wanted was for Blaine to keep talking. The sound of his voice was what Kurt was hanging on to right now.

"Ok, I want to just listen to your chest before we move you, ok Blaine? You just relax and let us do the work." He pulled his stethoscope out, and then unbuttoned the front of Blaine's shirt. He listened closely. "Yeah, we need to move him right now."

"What's happening? What's going on?"

"He's not moving any air on that one side. We need to get him out of here."

Burt walked up to Kurt and tried to put his arm around him. Kurt pushed it away.

They brought in a long board, and carefully slid Blaine out of his seat and onto the board, then to the stretcher. As one of the crew started an IV, and began giving Blaine oxygen, the other wrote down notes quickly, and then they moved the stretcher to the back of the ambulance. Kurt and Finn jumped in, and were told that only one could go.

"No. We both go. This is my brother, and he needs me here". Finn looked at them, and there was no way he was backing down. "Was there something else?"

Kurt knelt on the floor next to the stretcher as they started to move, holding Blaine's hand, and speaking softly into his ear. His eyes were closed, and Kurt could hear the oxygen flowing into something in his nose. Other than the small area of dried blood near his mouth, his face was perfect.

"He's going to be ok, right?" It was more of a directive than a question.

"It sounds like he's not getting enough air, which leads me to think he may have done some damage to his lungs. He had his seat belt on, so I'm not sure how hard he may have hit the steering wheel. That's typically how these injuries occur".

Blaine opened his eyes and turned to look at Kurt. He put his hand up to his heart—their special "I love you"—and then he reached up to brush a tear from the corner of Kurt's eye.

"It hurts" was all he could say.

"I know." Blaine closed his eyes again, and Kurt looked up at Finn as they pulled up to the emergency room.

"I can't live without him, Finn. He's my everything."

"I know, buddy. And so does he".


	23. The Long Wait

The ambulance came to a hard stop in front of the emergency room doors, and Kurt almost lost his balance as he tried to stand up. The crew swung the back doors open, and grabbed the stretcher with Blaine on it. His IV swung freely, and Kurt was afraid that it would hurt his arm. After the stretcher was on the ground, Finn jumped out, and almost as a reflex he grabbed Kurt under his arms and swung him down onto the ground. Kurt tried to keep up with the stretcher, and finally ended up along side of it. He grabbed Blaine's hand, but they were pulled apart as he was pushed into the emergency room. Kurt was left standing there, as they took away the love of his life.

"Come on, let's go sit down. This could be a while". Finn put his arm around Kurt's shoulder and led him to the waiting room. Burt and Carol were already there. But where were Blaine's parents?

Burt walked up to the boys and sat next to them. "Do you realize, Kurt, how lucky you are?" After the words came out, he thought about how ridiculous they would sound to his heartsick son.

"Excuse me? Lucky?" He looked at his father and shook his head.

"What I meant was, if you had been sitting in that passenger seat, I don't believe you would be sitting here with us right now".

"That's because Blaine sent me inside to get my jacket. It seemed like it was starting to rain, and he didn't want me getting sick." Kurt gave a pained laugh at the irony of that. "I wish it had been me".

"Kurt, don't say that. It shouldn't have happened to Blaine, but I certainly wouldn't want to have to deal with it having been you".

"Dad, what do you think happened? Where was the other car?"

"I'm not sure, Kurt. When we left, the sheriff's department was doing their investigation. I still don't understand how someone can do something like that, and just drive away."

The doctor came out, and Kurt jumped up and over to him. "Is he ok? Can I see him?"

"Are his parents here?" The doctor had a serious look on his face, which Kurt took to mean that he was bringing bad news.

"Oh my God…he's dead, isn't he?" Kurt felt his legs weaken, and he leaned back into Finn, who grabbed his shoulders and held on to him. "Please, no…"

"Young Mr. Anderson is alive, and he's stable, but he's had a traumatic injury to one of his lungs, and we need to insert a chest tube. I know that sounds scary, but it won't take long, and will only have to be in place until we can get that lung to reinflate. His breathing is being assisted at the moment, but that's normal in this type of situation.

"What does that mean? He can't breathe by himself?" Kurt was trying to take in all of the information, but it just seemed to be spinning around in his head.

"Right now we're helping his breathing, so that there isn't so much strain on him. Are you all family?"

"Yes, we are" Burt answered immediately.

"Ideally I would like to wait for his parents to get here, but I don't want to prolong this any longer than I have to. I'm going to take him down to the O/R, and once I have something to report, I'll be back up."

"Doctor, can…can I see him? I just have to tell him something…please?"

"We'll be coming through this way to the elevator. You can walk with us, ok?"

Kurt nodded, and felt himself starting to panic. Finn grabbed his arm and spun Kurt around to face him. "Be strong, buddy, ok? That's what he needs most from you right now."

They wheeled Blaine through the doors, and Kurt had to fight back the tears as he looked at him. He had a second IV, and a nurse was holding something against his face to help him breath. The beautiful curls that Kurt loved so much framed his face, and he looked almost angelic. His shirt was off, and Kurt thought he looked so much smaller than he actually is. The soft hair on his chest was covered with electrodes, which were hooked up to a heart monitor. Good God, Kurt thought, I could really lose him.

He walked up to the side of the stretcher, and grabbed Blaine's hand as best he could with everything he was hooked up to. "Can he hear me?"

"He's been sedated, but go ahead and try. Hearing a familiar voice can't hurt".

It was hard to talk with the stretcher moving, but Kurt did the best he could.

"Blaine, I'm right here. I love you so much, please hold on, ok? I'll be here when you get back. Please…"

The elevator door opened, and the medical team slipped inside with Blaine. Kurt put his hand to his heart, willing Blaine to be strong and come back to him. "We'll take good care of him." That's what Kurt _thinks_ the doctor said to him as the doors were closing. He wasn't sure.

Kurt stood in front of the closed elevator doors until Finn walked over. He looked up at him, and Finn grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, where Kurt felt he could finally shed the tears he'd been holding. The two brothers stood alone for a while, just talking, and Carol leaned in to Burt with a dire look on her face. "If he doesn't make it, neither will Kurt". Burt searched for words, finding it hard to respond to what he knew was a true statement. "I know".

* * *

><p>"You want something to drink? I can run and get something."<p>

"I don't want anything, Finn. But thank you." They were sitting next to each other, and Kurt leaned his head against Finn's shoulder. "What if he doesn't wake up?"

"He will, Kurt. He would never leave you. He loves you too much". Finn felt twinges in his chest as he watched Kurt trying so hard to hold it together.

"Maybe I'm being punished…God is going to take him away from me because I'm not a good person. I don't…"

"Kurt, stop that right now. There is not a better person on this earth than you. Don't say stuff like that." Finn felt his own tears begin to fall as he grabbed Kurt's hand in his. "You guys don't deserve this, and I wish I could fix it for you, Kurt. But please don't ever think this happened because of something you did, or didn't, do. Ok?"

The doors of the waiting room opened, and Blaine's mother walked in, heading directly to Burt and Carol. The two women embraced, and Carol and Burt began filling her in on what was happening.

Kurt let go of Finn's hand, and walked over to her. "Mrs. Anderson…I'm sorry…", Kurt couldn't finish his sentence.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Kurt." She pressed her hand against his tear-streaked face. "I'm so happy he has you."

* * *

><p>Kurt heard Finn say "Hey, guys", and he turned around to see all of their friends…including Sam…walking in together. They went to Finn first, and then Mercedes walked over to Kurt and put her arms around him. "How you holding up, kiddo?" Kurt just nodded at her, acknowledging the question but not really having an answer.<p>

"Well, we're all here for you guys. Strength in numbers, right?"

Puck walked over to Kurt, and the normally tough guy could barely speak. "You're my boy, Kurt. Which kind of makes Blaine my boy-in-law. He'll be ok. And we'll find out who did this."

"Ok." Kurt looked at the group around him, and felt that if anyone ever needed all of their positive energy right now, it was Blaine.

"How did this happen? I mean, _what_ happened?" Rachel asked to no one in particular.

"We're not sure. It looks like Blaine was starting to pull out of the driveway and the other car hit him. The jerk took off." Finn felt a combination of anger and helplessness that made him start pacing the floor.

Kurt sat down, and looked at his parents talking to Blaine's mom. Where was his father? He can't be so cold hearted that he would bail on his son at a time like this. Kurt thought about Mr. Collins, and how upset he would be if he knew what Blaine was going through right now. So many random thoughts were shooting through Kurt's head right now. Maybe he should have gone off with Blaine and gotten married. He prayed that he still had the chance.

He sat silently, watching everyone around him talking quietly in small groups. There was no way that he could ever picture his life without Blaine. He closed his eyes and thought about the sound of his laugh…his smile and how it made him weak every time he saw it…how his hand felt in his…how perfectly they fit together in every way. When you love someone this much, he thought…where does all of the love go when they aren't there anymore?

* * *

><p>The door to the waiting room opened, and everyone looked up to see Blaine's doctor approaching them.<p>

"He's doing well. He'll be in recovery for a little bit, and then we'll be moving him to a room.

Blaine's mother walked up to him and put her hand out. "Doctor, thank you so much. When can we see him?"

"Once he's in his room, but short visits only." He looked at the large group that had congregated for this one young man. "And no more than two at a time. Now, which one of you is Kurt?"

Kurt stepped forward. "I'm Kurt".

"Before he went under, he told me to tell you that he wasn't wearing socks that would embarrass you. Whatever that means. "

Kurt and Finn looked at each other and both laughed out loud for the first time in a while. They knew what he was talking about. The darn tube socks they had made fun of the night before.

"Alright, you kids need to head out." Burt was corralling up all of the New Dimensions group to get them to go home. "We'll let you know if anything changes. And thank you all for being here for Blaine and Kurt".

"Mr. H, they're going to find who did this, right?"

"I'm sure they will, Rachel. Now go ahead. You all be careful going home".

* * *

><p>When Blaine was finally in his room, Kurt fought the urge to run in there first, deferring to Blaine's mother. She was with him for about twenty minutes, which seemed like an eternity. When she came out of the room, it looked as if she had been crying. Of course she was, Kurt thought. What mother could bear seeing her child like this? She grabbed Kurt's arm as she passed him, but said nothing.<p>

Kurt pushed open the door to Blaine's room, and had to take a deep breath before entering the room completely. He walked over to the bed, and looked down at his partner. He was hooked up to so many things that Kurt was afraid of touching him. He put his hand on his face and stroked his cheek, and he wanted so much to look into those eyes. Kurt pulled up a chair next to the bed, and gently slid his hand into Blaine's. "I love you, and I'm going to take care of you" Kurt whispered. He lifted Blaine's hand and kissed it softly. And there he sat, holding vigil, watching each labored breath.

Burt and Finn pushed the door open just enough to look in and check on Kurt. "He needs to get some rest, Finn". But Finn knew better. "Burt, he's not going anywhere. He's where he needs to be. I can stay here for a while, if you want, to keep an eye on him. Puck can wait with me, then give me a ride home later".

"I think that might be a good idea. Your mom and I need to get back to the house and see what's happening there. Call us if anything changes, ok?"

"No probs. I'm going to run downstairs and get something to eat. Then I'll be back up."

Finn thought that he was hungry, but when he got to the cafeteria, his stomach felt kind of sick. He grabbed some juice for Kurt, and a coffee for himself, and headed back up to Blaine's room. He looked at his watch—it was already ten o'clock. Visiting hours ended an hour ago, and he was happy that the nursing staff was being lenient with Kurt.

He walked down the hall to Blaine's room, and pushed open the door. Kurt had finally fallen asleep in the chair, with his head against the railing of Blaine's bed. His hand was still holding on to Blaine's. He didn't want to wake him, but he couldn't stay like that.

"Finn?"

"Hey. I thought you were sleeping. How are you feeling?"

"Some pain, but ... Finn, I need to ask you something, but please don't tell Kurt, ok?"

"I don't like keeping things from him. He always finds out, then gives me the silent treatment."

"I need you to promise, ok. Please?" Finn saw that Blaine was getting upset, and moved closer, to the side where Kurt wasn't, and put his hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Promise me that you'll take care of him, if…you know…if something were to happen to me and I couldn't. I'd can't bear to think of him alone."

"Stop talking about that stuff. You're going to be fine."

"I know. But not just now. If anything took us away from each other, please watch out for him…" A tear ran down Blaine's face as he looked up at Finn.

"I promise, Blaine. But it's going to be ok. Now you get some sleep. Puck and I will be right outside for a little while longer." He looked at Kurt. "If I put this railing down, it won't hurt anything, will it?" Blaine said no, and Finn tried to hold Kurt's head away from the rail while he lowered it, and then laid his head back down on the bed. He grabbed an extra blanket and put it over him.

"Finn…thank you. For everything."

"No problem. Although you might want to prepare yourself. When he sees what his hair looks like in the morning, he might need his own hospital bed".

* * *

><p>He didn't feel Blaine's hand slip from his, but he was stirred by the feeling of someone touching his hair. He looked up to see Blaine watching him, with a small, if pained, smile. His voice was weak. "Hi, Beautiful" was all he was able to say, but it spoke volumes.<p>

"Hi, yourself. How long have you been up?"

"Just a few minutes. How do I look?" Blaine knew he probably looked awful, and really felt like he needed a shower.

"You look gorgeous. As always. I'll be right back. I need to use the little boy's room." Kurt walk in to the restroom, and Blaine heard a sound that made him laugh as best he could.

"What's wrong, Kurt?" But he already knew.

"Oh my God…my hair. How can you even bear to look at me this morning? This mirror is no friend of mine, I'll tell you that."

"You look fine, Kurt. You always do. Now come here and talk to me."

"Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you something?" Kurt sat back down next to the bed. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Blaine Anderson? I'm Sheriff Miller. I know it's early, but I just had a few questions about your accident, if you don't mind"

Kurt got up from the chair, and Blaine grabbed his hand. "Please don't go, Kurt."

"I won't. I'm just moving so that this gentleman can talk to you. I'm staying right here."

"Can you tell me what you remember before the accident happened? Did you see anything, another car, some detail?"

"I honestly didn't see anything, sir. I was moving my car out of the driveway so that I could pull up to the curb and the passenger door would be closer for Kurt when he came back outside. I put it in reverse, and had barely moved when I felt something hit me. I don't remember seeing another vehicle. I'm really sorry I can't be more help".

"That's ok. We were able to find some broken parts from what we are assuming is the vehicle in question, and there are some tests that we can do on the paint, etc to try to narrow it down to at least a make and model. You rest now. I'll be in touch when we find out more."

Kurt nodded his head at him, and then sat back down next to Blaine. "So where were we?"

Another knock at the door. It was Blaine's nurse. "How are we today?" She was way too happy so early in the morning, Kurt thought to himself. "Let me take a look at those bandages." She checked everything to make sure things looked as they should, and walked in to the restroom. She came back out with a washcloth and a basic full of water. "I'm sure you'll feel better once we clean you up a little".

"I can do that", Kurt said, and put his hand out for the washcloth. She put the basin on a side table, and gave Kurt a stern look. "Young man, this is part of my job. Now if you'll excuse us". Blaine looked at her, and wanted to tell her that she didn't know who she was dealing with going head to head with Kurt Hummel, but he decided to keep his mouth shut and just watch.

"My good woman, what I need _you_ to understand is that I know every inch of this man's body, and I am more than qualified to take care of his needs. Now if you will excuse _US_, I will take it from here". Yeah, that was his Kurt.

She handed him the washcloth, and walked out in a huff.

Kurt looked at Blaine, very satisfied with himself. "What? Too much?"

"I love you".

"I know. And I love you. Now let's get you cleaned up".

Kurt dipped the washcloth in the water, and gently washed Blaine's face. He took his time and made his way down Blaine's body, stepping away a few times to change the water, and to grab a towel.

"Feel better?"

"I do. You know, if a career on Broadway doesn't happen, you could definitely make a living as a private duty nurse."

"Good to know that I have a back-up plan". Kurt leaned in and kissed Blaine on the lips, being careful not to touch anything else.

"I'm really sorry Kurt. I've messed up our plans."

"How so?"

"I don't know when I'll be able to head back to school. And the apartment…"

"The apartment isn't going anywhere. Neither am I. So no worries".

"Where am I going when I'm released from here?"

Kurt hadn't thought about that. He wants Blaine close by, so that he can take care of him. "Let me talk to my parents. We'll need to work out the school thing for me tomorrow…Finn can bring my work home. Yeah. But we need to get you settled once you're released. Don't worry, ok. I'll figure things out."

"You're amazing, Kurt. And I wouldn't blame you if you got tired of me…it really…"

"Ok, so I know you hurt your chest. I didn't realize that you also took a blow to the head. Now stop being silly. In sickness and in health, right? Now, I'm going to have Finn pick me up so that I can go home, shower, and look more presentable for my boyfriend. I won't be gone long, ok?"

Blaine nodded. "I think I'm just going to rest for a while. Maybe we'll have some lunch when you get back?"

"But of course." Kurt got up and put his hand on Blaine's face. "You know, you look pretty sexy laying there all wired up. I can barely control myself".

"It's the hospital gown. Drives men wild."

Kurt left on that note, and made a mental list of things he wanted to bring back to keep Blaine busy. Maybe Carol could make something for him to eat so that he didn't have to endure the agony of hospital food on top of everything else.

Blaine closed his eyes, and tried to get some rest. He was awakened by a sharp pain in his chest, and rang the bell for his nurse.

"Something's wrong…I can't breath", he said to her as she approached the bed. He looked down at his bandages, then back up at the nurse.

"Please…I need Kurt…."


	24. Taking Care

"He's going to be so happy to have something homemade to eat." Kurt carried a bag with lunch for he and Blaine. Finn had come along for the ride back to the hospital, and kept trying to take the bag from Kurt. They also brought one of Finn's t-shirts and some sweat pants for Blaine to change into, so that he'd be more comfortable.

When they got on the elevator back up to Blaine's room, Kurt asked Finn how he looked. "I think if I were gay, you'd certainly turn my head", Finn laughed, and pushed into Kurt with his shoulder.

"I bet you say that to all the boys".

They were chuckling out loud as they stepped out of the elevator and came around the corner, where they noticed a commotion going on just outside of Blaine's door. "We need help in here", he heard one of the nurses say, and he was overcome with a feeling of dread as he ran to Blaine's room. As he approached, he was shocked to hear Blaine sobbing, and saying, over and over, "Please don't touch me". He and Finn pushed past the nurses, to see Blaine, with tears running down his face, shaking his head; a nurse was working near where his bandage was, and there appeared to be blood on his sheets.

"I want Kurt…please…"

"Baby, I'm right here". Kurt made his way next to the bed, and he grabbed Blaine's hand, even though the nurse's kept trying to push him out of the way.

He looked at the person who appeared to be in charge "What's going on? What happened?"

"He's pulled his IV out and told us he was having some trouble breathing. It seems like he was having some type of anxiety attack, but he's been fighting us the whole time, and if he doesn't stop, we'll need to restrain him so that we can treat him".

"I don't think that will necessary." Kurt would never let that happen.

He sat on the bed, as gently as he could. He glanced over at Finn, who, while Kurt was talking to the nurse, had put his hand on Blaine's shoulder on the other side of the bed. Kurt looked at Blaine, and took his face in his hands. "Hey…look at me…" He smiled at him, and Blaine looked at Kurt like a scared little child. "You're going to be ok, but you need to let them see what's going on. Can you do that for me?"

Blaine looked exhausted, and he finally nodded, almost in resignation.

"Good." Kurt looked at the sheets, and the blood from the spot where the IV had come out. "Look at you…you're a mess."

Finn watched in awe as his brother took charge of the situation. Anyone who thought that Kurt couldn't handle just about anything was wrong. He was strong in ways that not many people get to see, and it made Finn so proud of him.

"Ladies…Finn… if you'll just give me a few moments with him."

"Not long. We have to get that IV restarted."

"I promise." Kurt went in to the restroom and came back with a wet washcloth. He wiped down Blaine's face, and cleaned his arm where the blood had dried. "I'm going to see if maybe tomorrow morning we can get you into that shower in there. I think you'll feel a lot better after that".

"I'll need some help". Blaine winked at Kurt, who began to blush.

"Listen, me helping you in the shower might not be the best idea. I can have one of the nurses help you. But not the really young one. I think she has a bit of a girl crush on you."

"Well, I hope she knows I am in love with someone pretty fabulous."

"Here, let's get you dressed. I brought something else for you to wear."

"What? You don't like hospital chic?"

Kurt pulled the clothes out of the bag, unfolded the shirt, and shook his head.

"Finn Hudson!" He shouted, and Finn stepped back into the room.

"Yes?" Finn was started to laugh at the look on Kurt's face.

"What is this? He can't wear this."

"It's the Toledo Mud Hens. It's a great team".

"Finn…there's a big chicken on the front of this shirt".

Blaine watched this go back and forth for a few minutes before he finally said, "It's ok. I'll wear it. Anything to not listen to you two anymore."

Kurt looked at Finn. "No one can know about this. Ever." He slid the t-shirt over Blaine's head, and then told him to swing his legs over the edge so that he could help him with the sweat pants. "Turn around, Finn."

"I've seen this guy wrapped in a comforter. You really think he has anything to hide from me at this point?"

"Just turn around."

Finn spun around to give them some privacy, finally saying that he had to head out and hook up with Puck. When Blaine was settled back in his bed, Kurt walked over to the door near Finn. "Give Wes and David a call. I don't even think they know what happened. And tell them they can come any time to see him."

"Sure. You want me to bring anything back for you guys?"

Kurt looked over at Blaine. "No. I think we're ok. I'll let you know if anything changes. Thanks, Finn".

Finn walked out of the room, and over to the nurses station. "Hi there. My name is Finn Hudson, and my brother Kurt's boyfriend is our combative patient in there. I have a proposition for you…"

* * *

><p>Once the nurses were finished restarting his IV, and his doctor had come by to assess things, Kurt pulled the chair over to the bed. "Now that we're all alone…do you want to talk about it?"<p>

"Talk about what?"

"Don't play games with me. About what happened here today."

"I fell asleep…after you left…and when I woke up, I was a little confused about everything…you weren't here…I thought something had happened to you…I felt like I was drowning...I couldn't catch my breath..."

"Nothing happened to me because you sent me in to get my jacket. You probably saved my life".

"I don't even want to think about that. I would be so lost without you."

"Ok, enough of that." Kurt looked at Blaine, and saw that there was more that he wanted to say. "What else?"

"I'm scared". Just two simple words that made Kurt's heart ache.

"I know you are. But things are ok. You'll be out of here soon, and we'll be back on schedule in no time.

"I'm scared about us, Kurt."

"There's nothing to be scared about." Kurt took Blaine's hand in his. "We're fine."

"I feel so bad about all of this. I don't think your Dad thought that his son would end up playing nursemaid at such a young age."

"Blaine, let me explain something to you. I love you. And my place is here, with you. My Dad knows that. If something were to happen to Carol, he would never leave her side. He gets it. And he loves you too. Besides, this is only temporary. You'll be up and around in no time."

"I just don't want my future father in law thinking that his son could have done better."

"I already have the best there is. So no worries there."

"Come here, Kurt". Blaine patted the side of the bed.

Kurt sat down, and they stared at each other in silence. There really were no words to say. Sometimes a look can say it all.

* * *

><p>Puck and Finn showed up at the hospital right before dinner, and Puck walked over to Blaine, sizing up what he was wearing. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that Kurt was dressing you funny on purpose."<p>

Blaine laughed, and looked at Kurt, who was standing against the wall talking to Finn. He caught his eye, and got one of Kurt's amazing smiles back. How is it possible that he falls more in love with him every day?

Puck turned around to Kurt and told him to walk with him to get something to drink. He didn't want to leave the room, but Puck was persistent. "It's ok…Finn is here with him".

Once they left the room, Finn told Blaine he would be right back, and ran out to the nurse's station. "You are the BEST", he said to the head nurse, and gave her a wink.

"I hope you know that this is not normal procedure". She tried to be serious, but was taken aback by the charms of Finn Hudson.

"I know, and that's why you are my hero." Finn went down the hall, and came back a few minutes later, entering Blaine's room with a huge smile on his face.

"What's all this?" Blaine watched as Finn pushed a roll away bed into the room.

"Well, you don't want him to leave, he doesn't want to leave you…It's the best I could do, but I think it'll serve the purpose."

"How did you get them to allow this?" Blaine watched as Finn set up the bed, and put a set of sheets on it. He grabbed a spare pillow, and stepped back to look at his handiwork. "There—perfect!"

"I don't believe it. You truly are a miracle worker."

"I can be very persuasive. Plus, I told them that you would be a heck of a lot more cooperative with him here."

"Finn…"

"It's ok, Dude. Just behave yourselves. I basically owe that woman out there my first-born child. Don't complicate things by getting all touchy-feely with my brother on her watch."

Kurt and Puck walked back into the room, and Kurt stopped after a few steps. He looked at the bed that Finn had set up for him, and then up at his brother, who just smiled and nodded at him. Kurt walked over and hugged him. "Finn…this is fantastic. Thank you so much".

"Hey! Where's the Puckerman love?" Kurt stepped over to Puck, and gave him a hug too. "Now that's more like it."

"It's not problem, but like I told lover boy over here, no funny stuff. Think about his health."

Kurt sat on the bed, and bounced up and down. Finn was happy to see Kurt smiling. "Ok, buddy, we're going to head out. Call if you need anything."

"I will. And guys…thank you."

"Can you believe those two?" Blaine reached his hand over and touched the back of Kurt's hair.

"They are pretty amazing." Kurt spun around on his bed, and sat cross-legged facing Blaine. "So what do you want to do tonight? Dancing? Hang Gliding?"

"I just want to look at you". Blaine touched Kurt's face with his fingertips, and then ran his finger across Kurt's lips. "You are so beautiful, Kurt."

"So are you. But you need to stop touching me like that."

"Do you really want me to stop?" Blaine reached down for Kurt's hand, and put it up to his mouth, gently kissing it.

"I don't want you to stop. I _need_ you to stop."

* * *

><p>"So what about school tomorrow?" Blaine was looking at Kurt, who was lying on his back looking up.<p>

"You know, there are so many weird things on those ceiling tiles, it's like a planetarium from hell in here".

"I miss Bocelli. He's probably forgotten who I am."

"Well, I could bring him here. I mean, with the extra bed, the bird…maybe I'll string a set of paper lanterns across the room. We'll have our own little gypsy village in here."

"You're funny. And you're trying to change the subject."

"Well, I'll have Finn grab my school work so that I can do it here. I have my laptop, so I can keep current on everything."

"I'm really sorry, Kurt."

"Sorry for what? That someone did this to you? I belong here with you. End of story."

Finn walked in the house and heard the ball game on the TV. Burt and Carol were watching it, and when he walked in they looked up, taken aback by the look on his face.

"What's wrong, honey? Is Blaine ok?"

Finn sat down, and let out a sigh. "Yeah, he's ok, I think. Listen, can we talk about something?"

Burt hit the mute button on the TV, and gave his full attention to Finn. "You ok?"

"I'm fine. But it's about Kurt. You know, you would have been so proud of him today at the hospital. We got back there this afternoon, and Blaine was in the middle of some kind of meltdown. It was pretty rough. But Kurt was amazing. He took charge, calmed everything down. I really don't think we give him enough credit."

"Well, when you love someone, sweetie, you find things in yourself that you never knew you had." She remembered when Burt had his heart attack, and how she had to be strong for the both of them.

Burt smiled at Finn. "And something tells me that you are going somewhere with this conversation?"

"I am. Listen, Blaine's going to be released in a few days, and they are all worried about where he's going to go. If he goes back to Blaine's place, it's far from Kurt. If he comes here—there are too many steps down to Kurt's room. So I was thinking…let's have them go to the apartment…and I'll stay with them for a few days to help out. I can crash on the floor. It's no big deal."

"You know, Burt…I think we have _two_ pretty great sons on our hands". Carol looked at Finn with a full heart.

"Agreed. But the move in date isn't until the 15th. I'll need to make some calls."

"And we'll need to call Blaine's mother, because they want the bed from out there for the apartment. Puck and I can get it and set it up."

Finn got up to walk out of the room, then turned to look at Burt and Carol. "You know what? I hope some day I'm lucky enough to have what Kurt and Blaine have. It's pretty awesome".

* * *

><p>Burt was at the garage early the next morning, trying to get a jump on the day. As he was working on one of the cars, he looked up to see Sheriff Miller standing there.<p>

"Good Morning, Sheriff. Any news?"

"Well, Mr. Hummel, we've been able to narrow down the make and model based on some paint samples from your driveway and on Blaine's car."

"That's unbelievable. And please, call me Burt."

"Well, each automaker uses a specific type of paint on their vehicles. If we can break things down far enough, computer analysis is able to match the components to a specific vehicle. Well, not the exact vehicle in question, but the same make and model. At times, they can even narrow it down to a specific year."

"So what did you find out? About this vehicle?"

"It looks like a Dodge Ram. We're still trying to do some research, but I want to stop by the hospital this afternoon and ask Blaine if he's been able to remember anything else."

"When you head up there, can you give me a call? I'd like to go see my son. He's been scarce here at home lately with everything going on."

"Of course. How about we meet up there about two o'clock? That'll give me some time to see if anything else has come up."

Burt shook hands with Sheriff Miller. "Deal. I'll see you at two."

Burt and Sheriff Miller knocked on Blaine's door, and stepped inside the room to see Blaine and Kurt sitting their beds watching a rerun of "Project Runway".

"I don't care if brown is the new black, that look flatters no one", Kurt was saying, and they looked up to see Burt and the sheriff watching them.

"Dad!" Kurt jumped up and ran to his father, hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad you're here! Hey, good news. Blaine will be able to go home on Thursday."

Burt looked at Blaine. "That's great news, kid. Does your mom know?"

"I'll call her a little later on. It's good to see you, Burt."

"What's with the two beds?"

"Finn thought it would be easier since I'm staying here with Blaine."

Burt was going to comment further about that, but realized it would be a lost cause.

"Dad…we're going to need to work on some of the details…I think that…"

"Carol and I are already dealing with it, Kurt. We're trying to get the apartment situation set up earlier so you can go there. But right now Sheriff Miller wants to talk to Blaine about a couple of things."

"Blaine, have you been able to remember anything else about the accident?"

"Not really. Like I said, it happened so fast. I wish I could be more help."

"It's ok. We've been able to narrow down the make and model of the vehicle that hit you based on some trace evidence found at the scene. I want you to take a look at this picture, and see if anything about this vehicle triggers something."

He held up the photo to Blaine, who immediately turned pale. He took the picture from the Sheriff's hand, and looked at Kurt.

"What's wrong?"

Blaine turned to Kurt, and held up the picture.

Kurt looked at it, then back up at the two men standing there.

"We know this truck".


	25. More Questions

There was a flurry of activity in Blaine's room once they had seen the picture.

"Could you spell his name for me?" Sheriff Miller had his note pad out, scribbling down everything they said.

"His last name is Adams", Kurt said. "His first name is Azimio. A-Z-I-M-I-O". He and Blaine were sitting next to each other on Blaine's bed, still in shock over the fact that someone they actually knew may have done this. Their hands were touching between them on the bed, and every once in a while, Kurt would lay his head over on Blaine's shoulder.

"Have you boys had any problems with him in the past?"

"Well, he used to toss me into a dumpster on a daily basis for a while. Liked to call me a homo. You know, your basic good natured fun".

Blaine looked at Kurt and couldn't imagine anyone throwing him in with the garbage. It seems like they really did both have their share of baggage coming into the relationship. He whispered into Kurt's ear, "I love you".

Kurt nodded. "I love you, too."

Burt went out to the lobby and called Blaine's house. His mother answered the phone, and he started to fill her in on the new turn of events. He was shocked at her response.

"Burt, let's try to not make a big deal about this. Can you imagine the publicity?"

"Publicity? This guy may have tried to kill your son…_our_ sons…" He wasn't sure that he was hearing her correctly. "It _is_ a big deal".

"Let me be completely honest with you, Burt. This isn't a great time. My husband is not in the picture at the moment. I'm trying to deal with that mess. I'm sure you can understand…I just don't want this whole Blaine situation to make it worse".

"The Blaine situation"?

"Listen, I have to run. Please give Blaine my best."

"But…" The next sound he heard was a click as the phone on the other end hung up. Give him her best? Burt wondered to himself how two train wrecks like his parents ended up with a good kid like Blaine. He called Carol, and then went back upstairs to be with the boys.

Finn and Puck showed up, and before they were even fully in the room, Finn was yelling, "Are you _kidding_ me? Azimio did this? I'm going to kill him, I swear to God"…

He looked at the multiple people now in the room in uniform, and stopped…for only a moment. "I'm sorry, but this guy almost killed my brother's boyfriend."

"They aren't 100% sure, Finn. They need to find his truck first." Burt leaned in to speak to Finn and Puck. "Please don't do anything stupid, ok? The last thing we need is to worry about you two on top of this."

Sheriff Miller walked up to the trio. "Burt, can I talk to you outside for a moment?"

"Sure. You two stay here."

"So here's what we're going to do. I have some of my people on the way over to this guys house. If the vehicle is there, we'll impound it. How do you feel about these boys being alone here?"

"They aren't alone". Finn walked out of the room, and up to Burt. "They have all of us."

* * *

><p>"Dad?" Kurt called out for Burt, who made his way past everyone in the room.<p>

"What do you need, Kurt?" He looked at Kurt and Blaine, and they both looked so much smaller to him than they had just yesterday.

"Do you think you can get some of these people to leave? We just want to maybe have some dinner, and watch some TV."

"Kurt, I'm sorry, but this is serious. We need to let them do their job."

"I know. But…it's all too much, you know." Kurt's eyes began to water, and he reached over to grab Blaine's hand. "Please, Dad?"

"Let me see what I can do. No promises, ok?"

Burt walked back out into the hall. "Listen, any chance the boys can have some privacy? They're feeling a little overwhelmed."

"Sure. I think we have everything we need from them right now. You have my number, right? In case anything comes up?"

"I do. And please, as soon as you hear anything about the truck, please let me know." The two men shook hands, and Burt went back into the room. "Ok, guys…the room is all yours. What do you want for dinner?"

They looked at each other and at the same time said "Pizza?"

"Ok. I'll send Finn and Puck out to get it for you. Kurt, I'm going to head home for a bit. I'll try to come back up with Carol later on."

"Burt…did you talk to my mom?"

"I did. She knows about everything that's happening. I told her we'd let her know if anything changes." He felt bad for the kid. His own parents feel that he is a liability. The hell with them, Burt thought to himself.

* * *

><p>They had eaten their pizza, and were trying to decide on what to watch on TV. "Is there room for me up there?" Blaine moved over in his bed, which was much bigger than the one Kurt was using, pulled his IV tubing over, and made a space for Kurt to lie next to him.<p>

"This is nice." Kurt leaned back on the pillows, happy to be close to Blaine again.

"Kurt?"

"Blaine?"

"This is kind of creepy, don't you think?" Blaine's voice was low, and Kurt turned to look at him.

"Me laying in bed with you is creepy? Did you really just say that to me?"

"No, this whole thing. Why would Azimio want to hurt us? We have no issues with him, other than what he's done to you in the past. I don't get it".

"Who knows? But I guess we'll find out soon enough, if it was really him." Kurt was changing the channels, and he found some old "Golden Girls" reruns. "Look at that outfit. I can't believe that shoulder pads were ever in style".

There was silence, and then Blaine finally said to Kurt, "My father left, you know".

"What do you mean?"

"He moved out. I guess it was a long time coming, but he just decided he didn't want to be there anymore. I guess having a wife who didn't care anymore, and a gay son that was an embarrassment was too much for him".

"You certainly aren't blaming yourself for his stupidity, are you? Sorry…I know it's your father, but honestly…"

"He really hasn't been much of a factor in my life for a long time. It's just…you know, when I see you and Burt together, it makes me sad that I never had that with him. But, whatever."

Kurt held Blaine's hand and they quietly lay there, laughing at old jokes on the shows they were flipping through. They hit one channel, and Kurt yelled out "Wait! Stop there!"

"Oh, no…not "The Sound of Music". Blaine rolled his eyes and then pretended to be asleep.

"Nice try. I think we should do a sing-a-long version. I'll be Maria."

Blaine laughed, and put his head on Kurt's shoulder. "Of course you will."

* * *

><p>Finn popped his head in the room a while later, and asked if everything was all right. Blaine gave a fake smile and said, "We just watched "The Sound of Music".<p>

"Was Kurt playing Maria again?"

"What do you think?" Kurt had gotten up to use the restroom, and when he came back, he looked at the two of them. "Are you talking about me?"

"Yes, because, haven't you heard? The world revolves around Kurt Hummel".

"You sometimes have an ugly side, Finn Hudson."

Finn walked up to the bed, a more serious look on his face. "So listen, honestly…are you two going to be alright tonight? I told Burt that Puck and I would stay and watch out for you if you wanted us to."

"I think we'll be ok, Finn. But thank you."

"It's getting late. Let me turn these lights off. Maybe you can get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day for everyone."

He left the TV on, and the rest of the room was dark. "Do you want to stay up here tonight with me?" It was less of a question and more of a statement.

"I'd love to. I miss sleeping next to you. Do you think they'll mind?" asked Kurt, pointing in the general direction of the nurse's station.

"I don't care if they do. What are they going to do, withhold my meals?"

"If you're lucky". They both laughed, but underneath, they were both really shaken by the events of the day.

"Kurt…you know that I would protect you, right? I'll never let anyone hurt you."

"I know. And you know that I would do the same for you, right?"

"I do".

They talked into the night, until finally they were both exhausted.

The buzzer at the nurse's station went off for Blaine's room, and as she walked in to see what he needed, she stopped and smiled. They were both asleep, Blaine on his back, Kurt on his side with his head on Blaine's shoulder, and they were holding hands. One of them must have rolled on to the call button. She walked over to the bed, and saw it just under Blaine's arm, so she pulled it out and put it on the nightstand. Not having the heart to wake them and tell them they were breaking the rules, she walked back into the hall, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Everything ok in there?" her co-worker asked.

"Yeah. Everything is fine."

* * *

><p>Kurt was the first one to wake up, and he just lay there looking at a sleeping Blaine. Even like this, he made Kurt's heart race. He leaned over to kiss his cheek, but Blaine was also awake, and he turned his head so that Kurt got his lips instead.<p>

"Good Morning, beautiful".

"That was sneaky. I'm not complaining, mind you…"

Kurt put his hand underneath Blaine's shirt, and loved the feeling of his warm skin. He moved his hand down so that it was resting along the waistband of the sweat pants that Blaine was wearing.

"Kurt…what are you doing?"

"I want to touch you. Nothing else, I promise". Blaine had no will power when he looked into those big blue eyes. He didn't wait for Blaine to answer. Kurt slid his hand down to the front of Blaine's pants, and kept his promise. He didn't do anything else…but it was enough to get Blaine's attention.

"See, the problem is, Kurt…even when you aren't doing anything…I'm still thinking about you doing something."

"I'm sorry. I'll stop." Kurt took his hand away, and sighed. He was startled by what Blaine did next.

"Hey…wait a minute…" He felt Blaine's hand on him now, only _he_ hadn't made any promises. "I see you're feeling better".

"Quite a bit. But how are you feeling right about now?"

"I think you know. What if someone comes in? We have a history, you know."

"They won't be making rounds for about an hour or so. Do you want me to stop?"

"What do you think?" Kurt was having a hard time forming words.

He had to bite his lip as Blaine continued rubbing the front of his pants, trying not to make any noise. It was more difficult than he thought it would be. By the time they were finished, Kurt was holding his pillow over his face.

"You ok, Kurt?" Blaine was laughing, and is sounded so good to Kurt.

"Oh, I'm fine," he said in that naughty voice he sometimes used on Blaine. "But be afraid when we get you in that shower in there. There will be no mercy."

There was a knock on the door, and one of the nurses came in with a breakfast order form. Another close call. "How are you gentlemen doing this morning?"

Looking guilty, they both said "We're good" at the same time, then looked at each other. Finn would not be happy that they had not kept their promise to him to behave. Hopefully, he'll never know.

* * *

><p>Burt's cell phone rang at the shop, and when he answered it, it was Sheriff Miller. "Looks like we have a match, Burt. We've taken the truck, and we're heading over to the school to grab this kid".<p>

"Do the boys know yet?"

"No, I haven't been up there. Do you want to tell them?"

"Yeah, let me do it. Anything else I need to do at this point?"

"Well, we're getting consent for an interview from his parents right now. They seem like decent people, so I don't think we'll have any problems on this end. I'll keep you informed."

The call disconnected, and Burt stood for a minute, just shaking his head. Why on earth would this guy—this kid—do something like this? He called Carol and told her that he was picking her up to head to the hospital. Finn was at school. He would know soon enough what was happening.

They were up and sitting in chairs eating breakfast when Burt and Carol got there. She was struck by how young they both looked, and couldn't believe that someone would actually want to hurt either one of them. She walked over to each of then, kissing them on the head. Burt had told her about his conversation with Blaine's mother, and she was still reeling over the fact that a mother would basically toss her child aside to protect her…what? Reputation? It was shameful.

"Blaine, are you wearing a Mud Hens shirt? Finn has one just like it.

Kurt laughed. "Carol…meet Finn's shirt".

"Huh…well, I guess it could be worse. Remember that one with the picture of the muffin and the word "STUD" over it? Trust me, Blaine…you got the better deal with this shirt."

Burt cleared his throat, and began to talk about what was going on. Kurt and Blaine just nodded as they were told that yes, it was Azimio Adams that had hit Blaine's car, that he was being picked up as they speak, and that once any more information came in, he would tell them right away.

"Is my mom coming up today, do you think?"

"I'm not sure." Burt realized that she had not been to the hospital since the night he came in, and even then, it was brief. "Carol…Kurt…can I talk to Blaine alone for a minute?"

Kurt seemed a little put out by this. "We don't have any secrets, Dad."

"I still want a moment alone with him. Kurt, take Carol downstairs for some coffee. Just give us about ten minutes."

They left, and Burt sat at the table. "I'm going to put all the cards on the table for you, Blaine. I spoke to your mom yesterday, and she seemed a little concerned about the impact of this on her…life. I'm not really sure what to even say to you about this situation, but I want you to know that you have Carol, Finn and I here for you, no matter what. We need to press charges on this guy, but I don't know how supportive your parents are going to be."

Blaine just listened as Burt spoke to him, and for the first time in his life, he was having a father/son talk. He nodded a few times at some things that Burt was saying, and agreed that, regardless of what his parents thought, they would go ahead with charges against Azimio.

"Burt…are you sorry that Kurt and I are together?"

He looked at Blaine and smiled at him. "You know something? In the beginning, when Kurt would come home, and I would hear him cry over you, I have to say…you were not my favorite person. But once you two got together, and I see what you have, I couldn't be happier. You're a good kid, Blaine. And I'm sorry your parents are too selfish to see that."

Burt stood up, and was taken by surprise when Blaine walked up to him and hugged him. Kurt and Carol walked back in, and Kurt asked if everything was ok.

"We were just discussing family." Blaine smiled up at Burt, who had his hand on Blaine's shoulder.

"And?"

"And I was just getting ready to say how happy I am that I finally have one".

* * *

><p>Finn was standing at his locker when Azimio Adams was taken from his class by the Sheriffs Department. He followed them out to the parking lot, and walked around so that he was in front of him, before he was put in the car.<p>

"Why? Why did you do it?" Finn could feel his fists clenching, and fought back the urge to knock him to the ground. "You don't even know him".

"Who?"

"Blaine. You know, the guy you tried to kill? The one in the hospital right now?"

Finn was frozen in place with the next words that were spoken.

"Hell, I don't care about him. It was that Hummel kid I was after."


	26. The Harsh Truth

Blaine's nurse came in with good news. The tube in his chest would be coming out today. Which meant that he was on schedule to leave the hospital on Thursday. Kurt asked what the procedure would entail, and she gave him some of the details.

He would be given some pain medication approximately 30 minutes before the removal. It would be an easy procedure—the doctor would open the bandages, cut the suture holding the tube in place, and slide it out. He will then re-suture the opening, and put a new bandage on. It can't get wet for 72 hours, so Kurt pressed for Blaine to be able to take a shower before the procedure.

The IV had already come out, so there would be a lot more mobility for Blaine. He needed to walk around and stretch, so they had a busy day ahead of them. Finn would be coming by with Kurt's schoolwork, and hopefully he would be able to work on some of it tonight.

Burt had gone back to the garage, and left Carol home to make some calls. They needed to check about the apartment and changing the move in date to Thursday, if possible. And he wanted her to check on what the procedure was to have Blaine become an emancipated minor. That way, he would be able to make his own decisions about matters such as the legal ones that would be coming up. When Carol called him, she didn't have good news.

"Well, it seems that the state of Ohio does not have any laws about the emancipation of minors. Which means the only way that Blaine would be considered legally on his own is if he was married, or enlisted in the military. As far as I can see, neither one is an option we are willing to look at."

"I bet they would get married in a heartbeat". Burt couldn't believe he had actually, for a second, given it a thought.

"Honey, they are way too young. I don't even want to throw that in as a possibility to them. I do, however, have some good news about the apartment. The rental office said that the boys can move in on Thursday, so we'll need to move fast to get everything in place. Finn and Puck will need to go get their bed, and we need to figure something out for a couch and some tables for them."

"Let me see what I can work out from here. Sweetie, thanks for doing all of this."

"It's no problem. What's one more son added in to the mix?"

Burt's phone rang, and when he picked up, it was Finn. It was unusual for him to call in the middle of the day. "What's up, kiddo?"

"Burt, listen…they just took Azimio out of here in cuffs. I followed them out to the car…I just wanted to kill this guy…and I asked him why. You know, why did he do this to Blaine…"

"Did you actually get an answer?" There was silence on Finn's end. He didn't know how to say what he had to other than just blurt it out.

"He wasn't after Blaine. He wanted to get Kurt."

Burt felt his blood begin to boil. "What do you mean, he wanted to "get" Kurt?

What else did he say?"

"Just that. He said, "It was the Hummel kid I was after". Burt, we can't tell Kurt. He'll never forgive himself if he thinks it's because of him that Blaine was hurt. You know how he gets when it comes to this stuff."

"I know. I'm waiting to hear from the Sheriff what the story is with the interview. Do me a favor, Finn. Come right home after school. The three of us need to have a family meeting before we head up to the hospital. Kurt texted me that Blaine was having something done today, and that he'll be coming home as planned on Thursday. So we need to do a few things. But I agree-I don't think we should tell Kurt that it was him that Azimio had the problem with. Not now, anyway."

"Ok, I'll be home as soon as I can. Later." The phone clicked, and Burt was left with the thoughts that someone had hated his son so much that he wanted him dead. Probably still did. He needed to speak to Sheriff Miller right away.

He pulled out his business card, and dialed. After two rings, he answered.

"Sheriff, Burt Hummel here."

"How are you, Burt? We're just getting ready to sit down with Adams now. What can I do for you?"

"Listen, I think you need to know…he told my other son, Finn, that it was Kurt that he wanted to hurt, not Blaine."

"He said that? When?"

"At the school. Your guys had him out by their car, and Finn followed them to ask him why. It was a stupid thing to do, I know…but Finn is very close to his brother, and he was trying to just find out why."

"You know that anything he said in that context can't be used, right?"

"But he admitted doing it. In front of three people".

"He didn't have his parents, or a lawyer, present Burt. We can't use it."

Burt let out a heavy sigh. "Nothing is easy, huh?"

"No, sadly. Let me go, so I can deal with this. I'll let you know what happens."

* * *

><p>Kurt got the approval for Blaine to take a shower before his procedure, but they had to do it quick because he needed to take some medication before. They gave him a special wrap to put around his chest so that nothing would get wet. Kurt forgot to ask Finn to bring up another shirt, so the nurses were kind enough to give him a scrub shirt for Blaine to use temporarily.<p>

"Ok, you ready?" Blaine was sitting with his legs hanging over the side of his bed. He nodded, and waited for Kurt to stand next to him before he slid off of the bed to the floor."

"I wish I was taller". Blaine thought out loud.

"I wish I was sexier", Kurt tossed out there, not for any particular reason.

"Kurt, I think you're just fine in that department. Trust me. I would know."

Kurt held Blaine's hand as they walked to the rest room, and he adjusted the shower chair so that Blaine could sit at first. He helped Blaine get undressed, and turned the water on, checking the temperature several times before it was right. "Ok, in with you. And go slow." Blaine stepped in, and sat down, the water feeling incredible after so many days without a real shower. "How's the temperature?"

"It feels great, Kurt. It really does."

Kurt took his clothes off so that they didn't get wet, and wrapped a towel around himself.

"Kurt…what are you doing?"

"I need to wash your hair, right? I'm not going to stand in there with my clothes on. Don't worry…I can control myself."

"What about me?"

"I can control you, too". Kurt winked at him, and stepped into the shower, standing behind Blaine. He took the shampoo that was given to him, and began to wash Blaine's hair. The curls he loves so much were wrapping around his fingers, and he loved how they felt. He also began to realize that there really was nothing as sensual as washing someone's hair.

"Ok, close your eyes. I'm going to let the water hit your hair to get the soap out." Kurt stepped aside and tried to guide the water all over Blaine's hair to make sure everything was out. "Here's a wash cloth and some soap. Take a few minutes to clean up, and I'll be back in a minute for you".

"Where are you going?"

"I'll just be right outside. Just call me when you're done".

Kurt took his towel off, dried himself, and threw his clothes back on. He stepped out into the room and to the door, where he peeked outside. A huge smile covered his face. "Great! You're here. Give me a few minutes, and I'll come and get you. And thank you!"

"Kurt, I think I'm ready. And I also think we need one of these seats for our place. Maybe a two-seater."

He came back for Blaine, helping him up. "Ok, bend over".

"Kurt Hummel…that's a saucy request".

"So I can dry your hair. Wow. And here I thought you were the classy one."

Blaine blushed. "Sorry. I don't know what got into me."

"Again…nice choice of words." Kurt dried his hair, then handed him another towel for his body. "Not too long. I have a surprise for you."

* * *

><p>Kurt folded up his bed and rolled it to the side of the room. When Blaine came out of the bathroom, his hair was all loose curls, and he just looked like he felt better. They only had a little time before he was to have his procedure to remove the tube, and he wanted to make the most of it.<p>

"So what's my surprise? We're not going to watch "The Sound of Music" again, are we?"

Kurt walked over to the door, and opened it. "Come on in."

Blaine looked towards the door and saw Mr. Collins walk in. The man put his arms out to embrace Blaine, and once he was in his arms, tears began to roll down Blaine's cheeks. They held each other tightly, and Blaine looked over at Kurt and mouthed "thank you" to him. Kurt felt himself becoming weepy watching the two together.

"Let me take a look at you", Mr. Collins said, and held Blaine at arms length. "You're looking pretty good. From what I understand, there was a bit of a scare in the beginning. I was so worried about you, Blaine. You know I love you like you were my own".

"I know. And I love you too. I wish…" Blaine began struggling to find the right words. "I wish you had been my Dad. Maybe then I would have felt like someone wanted me."

"Well, you always had me on your side. I hope you knew that. Me and the Mrs. always wanted you around."

"I'm so glad you're here, Mr. Collins. So much is going on. My Dad left my Mom...he never wanted to be there anyway. I was such a disappointment to everyone…"

Kurt watched and his heart ached as he watched Blaine finally say all of the things that he was feeling about his home situation. It's good that he called Mr. Collins to come. Blaine needs him in his life.

They sat down at the table in the room, and Kurt asked if they would like anything to drink. They both said they would like some coffee, so he went down to the coffee shop to give them a little time. Normally Kurt wouldn't leave like that, but these two have a history that started well before he and Blaine met each other.

He came back with the two coffees, and he heard laughter coming from the room. That was a good sign. Kurt pushed the door open, and the two looked up at him, smiling.

"I was just reminding young Blaine here about the time he wanted to be a doctor. And now look at him. Wearing fancy doctor's clothes." Blaine looked down at the scrub shirt he was wearing.

"Mr. Collins, how long can you stay?" Kurt admired this man for never being afraid to show Blaine how much he cared about him.

"Well, young fellas, I actually need to keep on driving. I'm heading to my nephews house, but when Kurt told me what had happened, I knew I needed to come to see you. Blaine, please never let the mistakes of your parents define who you are. It would be a shame if you did. And besides, you have this fine young man on your side. That's everything."

Blaine walked arm in arm with Mr. Collins to the door, and they hugged before he departed. Blaine turned back into the room, and stood in front of Kurt. "Thank you for that, baby." He leaned in and kissed Kurt, wanting to do more but knowing that they didn't have time.

"You know, you do look very sexy in that shirt. Maybe we can sneak it out and bring it home with us."

"Aren't we a little old to play doctor?" Blaine had his hands on Kurt's waist, pulling him against him.

"I think not. Now let's get you into bed so you can rest. You've had a busy day so far".

* * *

><p>"Hey, Dad. Is Finn there?"<p>

"No, he's on his way up to you. He's bringing a change of clothes for the two of you. What's up?"

"Well, Blaine has this procedure tonight, and he's a little nervous about it. I wanted to have as many of us here as possible. Are you guys coming up?"

"What time is the procedure?"

"It's at 8pm, but they need to sedate him by 7:30pm. It only gives us about 45 minutes. Can you come?"

"Tell Blaine we'll be there, ok? Let me just change and we'll head up. Has he said anything more about his mother?"

"Nothing. I think he's kind of resigned himself to the fact that she has more important things in her life besides him." The very thought of that sickened Kurt. He had completely misjudged Blaine's mother. She was no better than his father.

"Kurt, I hope you know that there is nothing in this world more important to me than you. Don't ever doubt that. Ever."

"I know Dad. I love you. I'll see you in a little bit".

* * *

><p>The nurse came in to give Blaine a shot, which would make him feel less pain, and be a little drowsy. She said it would take about 30 minutes before the doctor would come in to remove the tube from his chest.<p>

"Kurt, why do you think Asimio hates me so much. I don't even know him, other than through you."

"I don't know. Move over". Kurt climbed in next to Blaine, and they just lay there waiting for the pain med to take effect. "I guess we'll know more after they talk to him."

Finn knocked on the door, and started laughing. "Well, it didn't take long for that second bed to become unnecessary. Are you two behaving like proper gentlemen?"

"We are. Look…all four hands in front of us".

"So what's with the dopey face here on Blaine? What are you smiling at?"

"You're really tall, you know that?" Blaine started to laugh, and Kurt knew that the meds were beginning to work.

"You're weird. And your boyfriend dresses you funny".

"Cut him some slack, Finn. He's medicated."

A few minutes before the procedure, Burt and Carol arrived, and all four waited around the bed for the doctor to come in. When he finally did, everyone stepped away but Kurt. He grabbed Blaine's hand, and began to talk to him about the apartment to keep him distracted. The doctor barely uttered a word as he worked, asking Blaine only once to give him a big cough as he pulled the tube out. He restitched the area, asked the nurse to bandage it, and it was done. So much less drama than when it was put in. They were given some directions for taking care of the area, and Kurt asked the doctor when he thought that Blaine would be able to go back to school, and when he would be able to sing again.

"About the apartment, Kurt…Carol worked things out so that you two can get in there on Thursday."

"That's great. He was so worried about where he was going to go."

"For the first few days, Finn is going to stay with you guys, just to help out. He and Puck are going to go out to pick up your bed, and we'll work on whatever else you need.

"Thanks so much for everything, guys. I think I'm just going to go back and sit with him for a bit." Kurt went back into the room and pulled the chair alongside the bed, taking Blaine's hand in his. He was watching some tabloid news program when he heard Finn and Burt getting louder in the hallway. He stood up and walked towards the door, trying to listen to what their exchange was becoming so heated about.

"You know if Kurt finds out that Azimio was out for him he will never forgive himself. But once Azimio starts talking, it'll come out, for sure".

Kurt tried to keep from screaming. It was supposed to be him, not Blaine.

"Burt, this guy looked me right in the face and said it. And I think he means it. He's got some kind of ax to grind against Kurt, and I'm worried that he's going to try to use Blaine to do it."

"I've told Sheriff Miller about this, and he wants to wait to see what he says in his interview, which I'm thinking should have been over for a while now."

"I just want to get them settled in their apartment and keep an eye on them. Maybe we can tell Kurt later, but not now." Finn looked up, and there he was.

Kurt walked to the doorframe, and just stood there, looking at them.

"Oh, no…Kurt, how much did you hear?" Finn was kicking himself now for not having this conversation with Burt somewhere else.

"I heard it all." Kurt looked at them both with confusion.

Burt didn't like the look on Kurt's face. It wasn't sadness. It was fear.

"So it was me. I caused this".

"No, Kurt. You did not cause this. A nutcase that you and Finn go to school with did. Don't get yourself all worked up about his when we don't have all of the information".

"He's in the hospital because of me. I told you I wish that I had been sitting in that seat, in that car, and that it would have been _me_ that was laying in there."

Kurt started yelling at the two of them "It should have been me , and not him. He didn't do anything to anyone!"

The nursing supervisor looked at them, and told them they would need to keep it down or go down to lobby to finish the discussion.

"Neither did you, Kurt". Finn tried to put his arm around him, but he slid away.

"Kurt, you need to settle down. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this…" Burt was trying to get Kurt's attention, but he just kept pacing around in front of the door to the room.

"No? Maybe Blaine would be better off without a boyfriend that is constantly the whipping boy for people. If he wasn't with me, he wouldn't be in _there_."

"You know what? I've had enough of this. I'm leaving." Kurt tried to get past Finn, who grabbed him by the arm.

"You aren't going anywhere, Kurt."

"Oh, really?"

"Burt, would you excuse us please. I need to have a chat with my brother- alone."

"Finn, don't…" Finn cut off Burt's sentence.

"Burt, please." Burt nodded, and walked towards the elevator. Hopefully if anyone could talk some sense into Kurt, it was Finn.

"Let go of my arm, Finn". Kurt tried to pull away, but couldn't. Finn dragged him into Blaine's room, where he was asleep, recovering from his procedure.

"Look at him. Can you honestly tell me that you can walk away from him?"

"Finn, you don't understand…"

"No, Kurt, I understand perfectly. The minute something doesn't go your way, you want to run. And, dude, I get it. It's scary having things like this happen. But it's also scary being alone. Look at him. I'll ask you again, Kurt…can you walk away from him?"

"I don't want anything to happen to him because of me, Finn. I love him more than anything in this world."

"So you would rather walk out and let him die of what? A broken heart?"

"That's not fair".

"What's not fair is that you aren't even willing to give him a chance to be there for you with this. You're so convinced that the best thing for him would be to leave him. What is wrong with you, Kurt? I really need you to tell me, because I spent I don't know how many hours before you two were together listening to you cry and moan about how much you wanted to be with him. Well, here you are. You're with him. Don't screw it up by being a coward."

Kurt looked at Finn as if he'd been slapped in the face.

"You know something, Kurt? Throughout this whole thing, I have been so proud of you. When I saw you holding his hand while he was in the car, how you told that nurse off, the way you take care of him. Don't you even know what love is, Kurt?" Finn was so worked up that he began to cry, and he finally let go of Kurt.

"What makes you the expert on love, Finn? Your great track record with women?"

"Because you've shown me, Kurt. Every time you two look at each other. When you take each others hand without even a thought…the things you do when you think no one is looking. This guy loves you enough to leave his school and come to be with you. You don't think he's going to miss his friends like you missed us? He's doing it for you."

Kurt felt the tears running down his face as he looked at Finn.

"Last time, Kurt…can you walk away from him? Because if you can, then you don't deserve him."

"Finn…I love him."

"Buddy, I know you do. Just give him the room to love you back".

Kurt dissolved into sobs as Finn walked over and pulled him into a hug. "Kurt, I love you, and I just want you to not be afraid of the bad stuff. You're not alone. You have us, and for God's sake, you have him."

"Hey, what's wrong, beautiful?" Blaine looked at the brothers, still half asleep.

Finn let Kurt go, and looked at him and nodded. "You're boyfriend wants to know what's wrong."

Kurt turned to Blaine, and looked into those beautiful eyes. This was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "It's just that I love you so much, sometimes it's overwhelming".

"Not in a bad way, I hope" Blaine smiled at him, and Kurt walked over to the bed.

He put his hand on Blaine's face, and brushed some of his curls back. "Never".

Kurt looked over at Finn, who was walking towards the door. Finn turned to look at two of what he felt were the luckiest people he knew. "Thank You, Finn", Kurt said with a smile.

"Behave yourselves." He walked out the door, where Burt was back waiting in the hall.

"Well?"

"I'm hungry. Let's go get a pizza."


	27. A New Beginning

**A/N-Well, my friends...this is the last chapter of my story "Home Sweet Home". My next story will pick up as our boys step foot into their new apartment to start the next phase in their relationship. Thank you for all of your reviews-I look forward to many more for my next story. Peace :)**

Burt and Carol arrived home just before Finn. It was the end of a very long, very emotional day for everyone.

"So what did you say to him?"

Finn threw his keys on the counter. "I just asked him a simple question. I asked him if he really felt that he would be able to walk away from Blaine, even if he thought it would keep him safe. In the end, he realized he couldn't. But I tell you guys something- Kurt needs to have a little more faith in himself. He's so strong, you know, but it seems like when he has time to think about things, that's when that brain starts spinning out of control."

"Honey, when you think it will protect someone you love, you're willing to almost do anything. Look at what Blaine did, breaking up with Kurt, even though it was the worst of ideas, and broke both of their hearts. But Blaine was willing to do it to protect Kurt." Carol put the coffee pot on, and sat down at the kitchen table.

"You know, we need to get that apartment ready for them, and there's not a whole lot of time."

"I was thinking about that too. I know I said that I was going to stay there for the first few days with them…and I'm still willing to do it…but I think their first night there, in their own place…they really should be alone. It's sort of a big deal, right?"

"I think they'll be ok by themselves. They know we're right here if they need us."

Burt grabbed a pad and pencil from the kitchen drawer and started to make a list. "Ok, we need to get that bed from his parents house, and Carol, I want to make sure that they have some food there. With everything going on, Kurt hasn't even really had a chance to pack any of his things. Neither has Blaine. We need to find out what they want to do about that stuff. Maybe we'll just take care of it". Burt gave a sigh. "This kid needs a break from that train wreck of a family he has".

"Can I ask a weird question?" Finn asked of no one in particular.

"Of course you can." Burt laughed a little, because he never really knew what kind of question would come out of Finn.

"Do you think that they will actually get married? I mean, I hope they do, because I can't imagine them going any other way, but do you think it will be soon?"

"You know, Finn, I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Your mom did some checking about how to get Blaine emancipated from his parents, and one of the only options is for him to be married. A few months ago, I would have thought it was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. Not the getting married part—but doing it at such a young age. But the more I think about it…." Burt stopped just short of saying that he wished they would.

"You know that they're gonna be together forever right?" Finn had no doubt. This was it for Kurt and Blaine. "I can't even imagine either one without the other."

* * *

><p>Blaine was up before Kurt. One more night, and then we'll be in our own place, he thought, and we can start our life together. He looked at Kurt, who was curled up on the bed, with what looked like a slight smile on his face. He really is beautiful, and Blaine looked forward to waking up every morning next to him.<p>

"You're up early".

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. There's something about a hospital bed that makes you want to leap right out of it as soon as you can. Except…" Kurt crooked his finger and called Blaine over, "if there is a really gorgeous guy laying next to you. Come here."

Blaine walked back over to the bed, and climbed back in. "So what's on the agenda for my last day here?"

"Well, we can go raid the linen closet and find some more of those scrubs that you look so hot in. Or…we can do some sock skating down the halls…or…and don't get too excited…we can do some crafts with tongue depressors."

"You sure know how to live, Kurt." Blaine leaned over and gave him a quick kiss.

"So Finn and Puck are going over to your parents place to pick up the bed today. I think I'm going to miss that place a lot".

"But we'll have our own place. Just the two of us."

"I know. But there are memories that we made there. You know..."

"I certainly do know. The most amazing night of my life was there. But we'll be making new memories. We have a whole lifetime." Kurt cuddled in close to Blaine, and grabbed his hand.

"I hope I make you happy, Blaine. And that I never let you down."

"Impossible".

"I can't wait until tomorrow night, when we're finally alone. I want to make love to my boyfriend. Lying here in bed with you is torture."

"Well, that doesn't sound like much of a compliment, sir". Kurt looked at Blaine with his big blue eyes, and smiled. "I love you."

"You know we haven't even packed? Not that I have much to speak of. Wearing a uniform all this time has had it's advantages. No major wardrobe choices in the morning."

"Are you nervous about coming to McKinley?"

"Not so much nervous as anxious. But I'll have you there".

"Can I ask you something?" Kurt looked up at Blaine, who had his arm around him.

"Of course you can. You can ask me anything."

"This transfer…is it because you thought us being apart would end our relationship?" Kurt asked the question, but wasn't sure if he wanted the answer.

"I'm transferring because I can't stand the days when I don't get to see you. When you were at Dalton, even when we didn't have a class together, or the Warblers…I knew that at any second you could walk around the corner and I would see you. I would just miss you. So, no, my darling Kurt, it's not because I thought it would be the end of us otherwise."

"I'm kind of scared about living together full time".

Blaine felt a twinge at that statement. "What do you mean? Why?"

"You understand of course that I will have no prep time between when I wake up and when I get to see you. You will have to look at this hot mess every morning for the rest of your life."

"Kurt, trust me. There's nothing I want more."

* * *

><p>Sheriff Miller called Burt around noon.<p>

"So Burt, here's the situation. The Allen kid says that he was trying to get even with your son over someone named…hold on…David Karofsky. Do you know who that is?"

"Yeah. He's another McKinley kid who has made Kurt's life hell for I don't know how long. Nothing but a big bully. But I don't understand. Get even with Kurt about what?"

"Well, this is where the story gets a little strange. Seems Mr. Allen thought that your son was coming on to David Karofsky, and that because of it, he freaked out, stopped coming to school, and was acting out. Allen claims he was trying to teach your boy a lesson about unwanted advances."

"By almost killing his boyfriend? And honestly, I don't believe a word of this. Kurt and I have a very open relationship. If he had been having feelings for Karofsky, he would have told me. This guy made his life hell."

"That's the story that he's sticking with, at least for now. What needs to happen is that Blaine will have to testify as to what he can remember about that day, if anything. And your son might be called also. Just so you're prepared. You never know what might be said by his defense."

"I don't think Blaine's parents are going to be cooperative. They see this as a big inconvenience."

"It doesn't matter. The charges are brought by the state, because of the seriousness of the crime. Blaine won't need their approval. Plus, the way I see it, he has a pretty good support system in place already."

"Thanks. He's a good kid. And he makes Kurt happy. That's all I can ask for as a parent, really, right?"

"Agreed. So I'll be in touch with what the next steps will be. Take care."

* * *

><p>Carol had called ahead, and told Blaine's mother that Finn and Puck would be out there to pick up the bed after school. They took two cars, and when they got there, they were met by something that was both shocking, and not surprising, at the same time.<p>

"I don't believe this woman." Finn shook his head in disgust.

There was a note on the door of the guesthouse. "Take whatever you want. His clothes are on the back deck."

"What the hell? Does this woman not have a beating heart?" Puck was furious. "Her kid could have died."

They walked into the unlocked guesthouse, and looked around. "You know what, dude? We're taking everything. It may take two trips, but we're taking it all. Come on."

They disassembled the bed, taking the pillows, the linens…everything. When they had it loaded, they went back for the lamps, the coffee table, and the small dresser. They somehow managed to get the sofa into the back of Puck's truck. Even though they were willing to make two trips, they decided that they didn't want to have a reason to ever come back here.

"Don't forget, we need to grab his clothes."

"I know. Let's just look around one more time." On the floor in the bedroom, Puck found a sleep mask, and one of Blaine's Dalton ties. "Huh…looks like the boys have a little bit of freaky in them".

Finn laughed out loud. "I don't need that vision burned into my retinas. That's my brother, man". He walked over to take a look in the bathroom, and smiled. "Hey, Puckerman, toss me your screwdriver".

He did, and when Finn walked out of the bathroom, he was holding the mirrored door of the medicine cabinet. On it was still written "Blaine Loves Kurt". "I think Kurt would want this."

As they walked back through the living room, Puck bent down and picked something up from the floor. "What's this?"

Finn took it, and realized it was Kurt's withered corsage from the first formal dance he went to with Blaine. "This, my friend, is romance". He stuck it gently into his pocket to give to Kurt.

The last thing they took was the "Home Sweet Home" welcome mat that was outside the door. For Blaine, Finn thought, it finally would be.

* * *

><p>They spent most of the day lying around watching Golden Girl reruns, until finally they couldn't take it any more. "So this is our last night as singles", Kurt said with a smile.<p>

"We're not getting married, Kurt, although I did offer. I just want to make sure that's out on the table."

"I wish I had said yes."

"Wait…you _did_ say yes, didn't you?" Blaine looked suddenly crestfallen.

"No…no….wait…I mean, yes…I did say yes. I meant, when you wanted to run off and get married, I should have said yes." Kurt meant it.

"Well, you were right. It's the biggest moment of our life. We need to share that with family and friends." Blaine realized that his family would most likely not be a part of this event. It made him sad, but only until Kurt interrupted his thoughts.

"You know. We're all alone until dinnertime. I could go lock the door and have my way with you." Kurt slid his hand under Blaine's shirt, being careful not to touch where his bandage was.

"Kurt, as tempting as that offer is…and I mean, really tempting, I don't think I want to continue with our record of getting caught—or nearly getting caught. We were lucky the last time in here. I don't want to tempt fate."

"Blaine Anderson, where is your sense of romance? Your sense of adventure?"

"I'm saving my strength for when I get you alone tomorrow night."

Kurt leaned in to kiss him. "Good answer".

* * *

><p>Carol enlisted the help of the New Directions girls to whip the apartment into shape. Kurt hadn't yet decided on curtains, so they would have to do with just the blinds for the time being. The décor was something Carol didn't want to mess with—she would never hear the end of it from Kurt if she chose something without checking the colors with him.<p>

"Mrs. H, the bed is made, and we put some towels in the bathrooms. Kurt wasn't kidding-that closet is huge." Rachel was folding more towels as she spoke. "Kurt will be in there for hours every morning. Poor Blaine. How can he compete with that?"

Mercedes and Tina put away the groceries that Carol had purchased, and when Finn and Puck had moved the last of the furniture in, they all took a break.

"This is really happening for them, isn't it?" Finn was relieved that things were finally falling in to place. "Do you know that when we were out there picking these things up, all of his clothes were in boxes that just said "clothes". Not "Blaine's Clothes" or anything like that. Like it had no meaning. Guys, we need to really let him know that he's one of us. He deserves a break".

Burt showed up at the door with stacks and stacks of clothes on hangers. "How on earth can he even figure out what to wear every day? Thank God we're on the first floor. There's no way I could carry all of this stuff upstairs. Girls, here…take this stuff, and just hang it in their closet. Do you know that I have two boxes of his shoes? He doesn't take after me, that's for sure."

When the boxes were brought in with Blaine's clothes, the girls were in the process of putting his things on hangers when Rachel looked at everyone and said "Do you know what? There's not a single t-shirt in here. No sneakers. No jeans. Nothing that looks…comfortable."

Burt shook his head. "I don't think he was allowed to even be a kid."

"He can keep my Mud Hens t-shirt. I think he liked it."

Carol smiled at her son. "Of course he did, honey. How could he not?"

* * *

><p>After a dinner of cheeseburgers and fries, they decided to make of list of things they would need to do. Packing. Buy groceries. Finish picking out curtains. "Bocelli is going to love having his own home. I hope he's happy there"<p>

There was a tap at the door, and when they looked up, it was Wes and David.

"Blaine, what are you wearing?"

"This, David, is called "Hospital Chic". Do you like?"

"It's a good color, I'll give you that."

"Kurt thinks I look sexy".

"I'll take his word for it. You really were never my type". Wes said with a wink.

"Thank God for small miracles" Blaine said, and told them to both sit. He and Kurt sat up on the bed.

"We're going to miss you. A lot. I mean…when we go to the GAP now, it's just not going to be the same. " David made a fake motion as if he was crying, but deep down, he and Wes were really going to miss their friend.

Kurt felt bad for Blaine. He knows exactly what was going through his head. Would he see these guys again? Kurt would make sure that he did. They've been good to both he and Blaine, and theirs was a friendship they wanted to keep.

After about an hour or so of catching up, Wes said it was time for them to head out. They both hugged Blaine tightly, made promises to stay in touch, and then they looked at Kurt. "You take care of him."

"I will. I promise." Kurt hugged them both, and walked them to the door. It seemed to be the last bit of Blaine's old life to slip away.

He hopped back onto the bed. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Just a little tired. We should make it an early night. We have a ton of stuff to do tomorrow when I get out of here."

They lay there in the dark, chatting about lots of small things but nothing in particular when Blaine said, very quietly, "Kurt, thank you for sharing your family with me". His voice was shaky, and Kurt put his arms around him. "It's your family too, Blaine". Kurt felt his heart ache as his partner lightly wept until he fell asleep. Kurt kissed his cheek, and made him the promise that no one would ever hurt him again. "Never".

On the other side of town, the last touches were put on their apartment by their family and friends, each item placed with care and love. Brittany hung up a banner that said "Welcome Home". "Do you think this is straight?" They all laughed at her choice of words, and Carol put her arm around her and told her that it was perfect.

* * *

><p>Morning came, and Kurt jumped up as if it was Christmas morning. "Blaine, wake up! Come on…get up".<p>

"Kurt, what's wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing. It's moving day."

Blaine swung his legs over the side of the bed, and pulled Kurt over to him.

"Big day. Are you ready for this, beautiful?"

Kurt just smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes."


End file.
